Life Resolute
by Poseidon's Following
Summary: Immortality isn't perfect when you can't share it everyone. Continue following OC-Logan on his journey with the Cullens, his mate, and his best friend as life takes them all to places anew. Not everyone will make it to the end though. A continuation of "Second Life" by Poseidon's Following. Post-Breaking Dawn, AU, OC POV, Slash, Lemons. Please please write reviews!
1. Ch 1: The Conversation

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Note: I sincerely recommend that you read "Second Life" before you jump into "Life Resolute."

Also: Comments are appreciated.

…

It happened.

Esme and I were stocking up at the grocery store for a pack of wolves that Esme fed on a daily basis when we overheard Jessica Stanley's mom make _The Comment_.

She was talking to another human four aisles over. "None of those Cullens seem to get any older. I've said it to Jessica before and I'll say it again—plastic surgery is not the way to go! How could Dr. Cullen let his kids do that to their faces?"

The other human added, "The better question is where does Cullen get that money? He's a doctor and all, but that is a lot of money! Do you think the hospital gives him a two for one special?"

Both women started to cackle.

I was not amused, but… People were starting to notice: we were more or less, but definitely not… human. We Cullens had lived in Forks, Washington for more than a decade, which was longer than we had ever stayed in any one place before, or so I have been told. Forks was important to everyone, which was why no one was going to like the conversation that I knew was coming soon.

Esme nodded in agreement. She may not have my brother's mind scanner, but her abilities were derived from her mothering gene.

We were packing away the groceries into Esme's Navigator when Esme broached a subject I cared to avoid. "So Logan, will you ask Seth to meet with use when we discuss the move?"

I gulped and said, "The paint on this Navigator has a real nice sheen to it." I had given vehicle to Esme last year as a gift. I was insistent that we have at least a few domestic vehicles in the family. Esme was content with it and I think the reason being it was a stereotypical Mom vehicle, the showy-ness notwithstanding. The car aside, Esme wasn't trounced by my misdirection.

She eyed my suspiciously. "Logan…"

I stood as still as a statue and pondered her original question. Since about the time I came back from the Edward-induced exile, Seth had become my friend; more like my best friend. We kept a look out for each other when we fought Victoria's newborns and the almost-obliteration by the Volturi. Despite the wolf-vampire hostility thing back then, I had tutored him and he was able to graduate high school eventually. The whole wolf thing was a drain on his personal time to do important things like study or go to school. I know I earned an eternal altar of gratitude from Seth's mom and even his sister, Leah when they watched Seth cross the stage at graduation. I hung out with Seth everyday now and the thought of leaving my best friend saddened me.

"Logan, honey." Esme stared at me. She tapped my arm. "Logan!"

"What?" I muttered coming back to reality.

"Will you ask him to come over?" Esme asked again.

"Ugh, I don't think so. It isn't a conversation I want to have with him just now," I answered. It was a half-truth. I didn't want to tell him at all.

"This bromance you have going on, you know it makes Emmett jealous," Esme cautioned. I was impressed that Esme even knew what a bromance was. I would have to thank whoever taught her that.

"Yeah well… jealousy is good in our relationship. It keeps Emmett on his toes." Silently however, I thought, _And attentive to my needs._ My body tensed at the thought of Emmett touching me in all the ways I sincerely preferred.

"Ew!" Esme shrieked.

"Are you sure you don't have a mind scanner too?" I asked.

"Supernatural abilities are left to my children," Esme retorted.

"That is funny that you don't think the mothering gene isn't supernatural," I commented.

"You make it sound like I'm weird."

"No, just spooky sometimes. Really spooky how you _just know_ sometimes."

"Oh lover," Esme pinched my cheek. "I always know. I think you should invite Seth to join us."

…

The sun was setting in the horizon when we got back to the house. I wasn't looking forward to this night.

As Esme put the Navigator into park, a blissfully unaware Ness barreled into the garage. "Did you get it? Did you get it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Dearest niece, I got it so long as you help your old uncle carry these groceries in. He isn't as young as you."

"Nice to see you too, dearest uncle!" Ness gave me a quick peck on the cheek and grabbed the heaviest stuff without a second thought.

"Hey, save some for me!" I knew who said it without having to turn around. It was his sweet scent that got me. It is always their scent that gets us vampires; I was no different.

"I hope you mean some loving and not Ness's venison," I said as I spun on my heal. Before I could focus on my mate, my lover, my everything, Emmett lifted me into his arms and kissed me with the passion of Romeo and Juliet on steroids. I will say that I am not Juliet so I don't know whom Emmett would be playing. I didn't take the time to figure it out because Emmett's sweet scent washed over me again and I became… distracted.

Coming out of the kiss, I smiled. He was wearing nothing but jean overalls and workman boots. Emmett was in mechanic mode and the grease slick across his forehead was hot as hell.

"Nice to see you too," I groaned.

"Need help carrying in _the stuff_?" Emmett wrinkled his nose. He didn't care for the proximity to human food that Esme and I had grown accustomed to. It had become a family joke that we operated a regular cafeteria line. The smell didn't attract me, but it didn't gross me out either. Think of what dirt smells like. I could appreciate it, but I surely didn't want to eat it.

"Nah, Ness got most of it in one swoop. She's itching for the Venison Parmesan I promised to make for her tonight." I gave my mate another kiss on the lips and then pulled away from him to grab whatever was left in the Navigator.

"Hey, Logan," Emmett grabbed my hand. "Do you want to go to the La Push tonight? There is a storm coming in so the beach should be pretty deserted." Emmett knew me too well: time with my mate—at my favorite beach—alone.

I nodded. I knew I would need some happy time after what I knew was going to be an ultimately depressing conversation. Esme had already called Carlisle at the hospital and he agreed that _The Conversation_ should go down tonight when he got home from work.

"Logan! I don't hear the succulent sizzle of venison! And make extra! Jake is coming over!" Ness's voice carried across the house like a foghorn.

I looked to Emmett. "Jake is coming over. Shocking."

Emmett hunched his shoulders and left me to help Rosalie with her latest auto project: repainting Edward's Vanquish. They convinced Edward that a coat of silver would be a great change of pace.

I entered the kitchen and saw that Esme was already dicing away at onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Homemade marinara sauce was the way to go. Esme was as quick as opening a jar of premade so buying the premade was superfluous. Esme believed there was more love in a dish made entirely by scratch.

I pulled a knife from the drawer and began to cut up the meat.

I whipped out my phone and sent a group text to all unaware Cullens. "Time to have the conversation tonight. 7:30." I didn't receive any responses, but I didn't expect any either. We all collectively knew the time to move was approaching, but I think we all avoided _The Conversation_ thinking that bringing it up would induce the move would happen sooner than later.

Ness fluttered into the kitchen, pirouetted, and elegantly landed herself in a chair at the breakfast island facing Esme and I.

"Dearest niece, we should review your human food choices: Venison Parm, any type of egg…" I quipped with a smile.

"Not Benedict. She hates the hollandaise," Esme interjected.

"Right," I responded brandishing my knife like a pointer. "So we got v-parm; eggs, no Benedict; anything involving more than 75% cheese; and to get at your sweet tooth, aside from mountain lion, Sue Clearwater's double chocolate chip chocolate cookies. So if it's not processed or an animal product, it's not for consumption." I laughed.

"Yeah, well let's analyze your diet: animal blood. Yep, that's it," Ness said snidely.

"I could re-open the pallet to human blood, you know." My throat ached at the thought. I gulped hard and tried to think of something else. I winced a bit, which betrayed my attempt to be funny.

"Don't let Seth let you hear that! He'll probably backhand you." Ness broke the awkwardness with her joking demeanor. It amazed me how she reminded me of Emmett.

"Yes, well, I'd just phase everything, but _his_ head, into the ground and do Ness-style pirouettes upon it," I threw out.

Ness and I laughed together.

Esme wasn't pleased. "No pirouettes unless it is on the ground minus a head or body for that matter!" she commanded.

I looked to Ness who knew better than to laugh. I didn't and when I did laugh, Esme laid on the guilt. "You joke Logan, but let me remind you of the time when we were mortal enemies, of when we couldn't go to La Push, of when Seth was told to hate you."

"Come now, Nana, we were only kidding around," Ness pleaded.

"I know, but still…" Esme's last word had all the guilt a mother could put into it. It was like she squeezed a dollop of guilt over a spoon and threw it in our mouths. "It is just I think you both need to be more appreciative of what you have here, because who knows, um, how long it will last."

I knew what Esme meant. Ness didn't so I brought her up to speed on Mrs. Stanley's comment. The mood in the kitchen became somber. Even Ness, the rambunctious and perpetually joyous, felt it too. The last person I wanted to see come through the window at that moment was of course none other than Jasper. He flew off the outside tree and into the kitchen. Immediately, he felt the sadness emanating from all three of us and took it as his own. Damn sponge!

"Whoa, why so glum, family?" he asked.

"Have you checked your phone?" I eyed him cautiously.

"Uh, got destroyed in the woods today. I took down a buck, but his antlers took out my phone in revenge." Jasper pointed to a hole in his jeans pocket.

"Better not let Alice see that," Ness cautioned.

From across the house, Alice responded _for_ Jasper. "Already did. Jazz, I have something for you."

Even I didn't need to be a sponge to know what that meant. I rolled my eyes in disgust when some vision of Jasper doing a striptease routine for Alice took over my brain. "Yeah, ew," I said involuntarily.

"Gotta go, ladies and gentleman." Jasper took a bow and was off to his wife.

I dropped the Venison Parm into the oven and as if on cue, I heard Jake's Rabbit scurry up the winding driveway. How that thing had survived all these years, I'll never know. The sound of the Rabbit hit Ness's ears and her eyes lighted up like two suns. She didn't get up to greet him, which surprised me. Jake shut off his car and that was when I heard the slightly faster than a normal human heartbeat of the shapeshifter known as Jake Black. His heart would putter faster as the proximity between his imprint and him decreased. I smiled inwardly over how they orbited each other's universe.

I was also glad they decided to take it really slow too. I mean part of me was the horny teenager that I was frozen as so I could completely understand all the urges swirling through each of their bodies. On the flip side however, I became the overbearing and protective uncle who took his orders from the ultimate-overbearing and protective father. I, like the father, didn't understand what the rush was about! The two parts of me have tangoed over the years but in light of Ness's full maturity, I was attempting to lessen my protectiveness.

Jake popped into the kitchen and grabbed Ness into a hug. He chastely kissed her cheek, to which I approved. I checked the oven and asked Jake if he was hungry.

"I ate dinner with the Swan's tonight, but sure man, smells good!" Jake rubbed his stomach. "You know I'm always hungry and when you and Esme get cooking in the kitchen, watch out! Oh by the way, Seth's coming over for that conversation you mentioned in your text."

I gritted my teeth, which didn't go unnoticed by Esme.

"Logan, will you help me get some ingredients from the pantry?"

I rolled my eyes at Jake and Ness because of how obvious Esme was being. I followed her to the side of the kitchen nonetheless.

"I don't understand why you don't want Seth here," Esme stated.

"It's just, I don't want to leave because he's my best friend. The wolves and our family make up a larger interwoven family. I just don't want Seth here because I know the conversation we are going to have is going to be a shock. Imagine: 'we're leaving and we can't come back until you are all dead.' What a great conversation!" I spat.

"It isn't like you can't visit!" Esme rationalized.

The thought of visiting warmed my silent heart, but I knew that the risk inherent in being seen here as the years go by would increase even at La Push. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now does it. Seth's probably on his way anyways," I said as I grabbed some red pepper flakes from the pantry.

Jake and Ness destroyed the venison. I broke a wooden spoon over Jake's wrist when he went for fourths. "Save some for Seth or so help me…"

"Chill out, psycho," Jake cradled his hand to his chest.

"Please, if you want to cradle that wrist for real, I'll use the cast iron skillet," I threatened.

Jake laughed at my threat.

Carlisle waltzed through the door at 7:30 on the dot. The rest of the family had taken seats in the living room. Each couple had perched themselves near their other half. I nestled myself into Emmett's side and he threw an arm over me.

Carlisle was about to start, but stopped when we collectively heard a motorcycle turn up the long winding driveway. That would be Seth. I groaned internally as he barreled through the door and apologized for being late. It wouldn't be Seth Clearwater if he weren't late. Before he took a seat at Edward's piano he gave me a quick fist bump.

"Sup, Logan?" he asked.

A quick nod was all I had to give in return.

Carlisle reacquired the attention of the room and began _The_ _Conversation_. "As many of you know already," he glanced at Esme and me. "And for others who do not, our presence here is beginning to attract an unacceptable amount of attention."

A collective groan circulated the room.

"I know, I know," Carlisle crooned. "I don't want to talk about it either, but the reality is that we must."

"Talk about what?" asked Seth. No one moved, but Carlisle.

"We have to discuss where we are to move to next, Seth. We have stayed in Forks for much longer than we might otherwise would. But now people are beginning to question our appearances, which leads me to suggest moving. We occupy an awkward precipice here and we get closer to the edge the longer we are here." When nobody responded, Carlisle concluded, "I will take it that no one disagrees so the question remains where should we move?"

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

I looked over to him and caught his gaze. "Seth, you see me, Emmett, and all of us everyday so of course we're not going to look any different. But for others who may see us once or twice month like Jessica Stanley's mom, they notice that we are indeed not changing, that poses a problem." I turned to Carlisle. "If no other law, we must abide by one: keep the secret."

"Logan is right," Edward added. "I'm sorry Seth, but we must go. The sooner the better."

"I'm going too," Jake said. "I knew one day this would come. I spoke about it with my father years ago and he agrees it might be a good idea if I go as well because I'm not aging either." Jake looked at his Imprint and smiled.

"Well, if you're going, then I'm going," Seth announced.

I couldn't control my mouth if I wanted to. "Really?"

"Don't sound so surprised, buddy. I mean I'm not exactly aging myself and it isn't like it was in the old days when an old man was allowed to look like a eighteen year old and get away with it."

Jake looked concerned. I knew what it was about. "What about the pack, Seth?" I asked.

"Well, that would have to rest on the Alpha's decision and if he'll let me go. I mean—we do have a huge pack already because of the, um, vicinity to you all, no insult intended." Seth treaded lightly. We all knew that our proximity to the tribe triggered the shape-shifting gene, but no one expressed animosity to us over it. "I guess what I'm saying or rather asking is can I come? I would like to see what life has in store. My Mom has already pushed me to get out of the house."

"Yeah, you need to get your own place. Pushing 26 are we?" I asked.

"How about I just move in with you," Seth replied.

"And the bromance continues," Emmett laughs.

"Jealous?" Seth retorted. He could be so perceptive.

Emmett looked miffed. A kiss on his cheek took the pouty look from his face though.

"I am sure we can find a suitable out of the way town to move to. Perhaps upstate New York again?" Carlisle suggested.

Rosalie growled. She had little interest in returning to any location near Rochester, New York. Almost eighty years later, I could tell the wounds were still fresh.

"Across the country?" Jake asked. "Could we do something a little closer to home? If not for the pack, then for my Dad and Bella's? They aren't getting any younger."

Bella grimaced, but Jasper was unconvinced.

"It would give our alias a chance to cool down if we were to vacate to the east," Jasper informed. He was always the best tactician even if he did receive his training during the Civil War.

Esme shifted slightly and smiled to herself.

"That is a wonderful idea, Esme," Edward said. "Would you care to elaborate?"

Esme grinned at the room. "About fifty years ago, Carlisle and I were vacationing in the northeast. The fall colors are absolutely breathtaking. We were up in Maine exploring the coast when we came upon this old Victorian house. It was empty and Carlisle and I stayed there for a week.

"It was right on the coast near Bar Harbor in the Acadia National Park. Oh, it was beautiful. The fall colors contrasted so perfectly with the blue waves crashing at the rocky beach. We would walk on that beach every morning and watch the sea crabs run about. Oh, it was a magical time. So peaceful.

"After we left, Carlisle surprised me with the deed to the house and property. Turns out it was a summer home of one of the big Texan oil tycoons of the early twentieth century. The property was owned privately before the national park was created so there could be no further development outside the property lines. So, no neighbors," Esme boasted.

Jasper was the first to inject his thoughts. "No neighbors means smaller risk of uninvited guests."

"But Bar Harbor is on an island," Bella noted. "We'll have to go to the mainland to hunt. I'm sure the locals would know the decrease of wildlife on the island."

Jasper nodded. "But the island isn't too big and rural Maine is similar to here and has an abundance of wildlife. Upstate New York would have slimmer pickins' than Maine."

I looked around the room and saw a consensus forming. The only two that looked weary were Seth and Jake. I could empathize with their situation: Duty to protect their tribe and be close to their family versus going off into the unknown with us.

Edward noticed Seth and Jake's worry in the more literal sense and attempted to give them some comfort. "Do not worry, I'm sure we can set up something so that you two can hop on the next flight to Washington at the spur of the moment. It won't be a problem to fly your families out to Maine either—for the holidays or whatever. They will always be welcome wherever we are."

Jake nodded and Seth's smile returned.

Carlisle took one last look at each one of us in order to root out any discontent with the possibility. Seeing none, he announced, "We'll be moving to Maine then."

A few hours later, Emmett and I jumped out of the woods and onto a secluded strip of the beach outside of La Push. I was reminded of when Sue Clearwater told me of the Tribal Council's decision to allow my family to use the beach whenever we wanted. In exchange, we offered to run patrols around the Reservation ever so often so the wolves could get rest or engage in other activities. I assisted Seth on his every patrol. Only once did we have any trouble, a nomad about three years ago.

Seth about died when the nomad got his clutches around Seth's neck. Thankfully, the nomad was too distracted by an open wound on Seth's leg and the blood that was gushing from it to sense my approach. I quickly dispatched the nomad with my ability. Those who voiced opposition to the treaty change were silenced that day. The fact that I didn't attack Seth because of his open wound also helped matters. Few knew what really stopped me from killing Seth myself though. I almost died myself. Recently, I had become acutely aware of the limits of my telekinetic ability, but these were thoughts I didn't want to endure right now. It would take me away from this moment.

"Beautiful night," Emmett said, which broke me out of my reverie. The clouds swirled around and the wind smelled of salt. A storm was about to break over the horizon and wash over this area. I was looking forward to the lightening. I could already hear the thunder in the distance. It was growing in decibels and approaching fast.

"That is because I have you hear—with me—alone." I hopped onto Emmett's shoulders.

"I like being here, in between your legs that is." Emmett could take a beautiful moment and make it dirty in about 0.3 seconds.

"Oh really?" I responded. "What about this position?" I hopped off his shoulders but pulled his hands down upon me as I fell into the sand. He pinned me to the sand with his titanium-reinforced body.

"Little Emmett like."

"Oh my God, seriously?" I yelled.


	2. Ch 2: Spies, Sex, and Money

Esme and Carlisle ventured out to Maine to start the ball rolling on our move. They returned a week later and announced that the house needed a lot of work. To fit all of us—Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Bella, Edward, Nessie, Jacob, Seth, Emmett, and I—there would have to be a massive renovation and addition put on the house.

Esme decided that it would be a bonding experience. "And if we do the renovations ourselves, it would take a quarter of the time."

I wasn't excited by the prospect until Emmett whispered in my ear. "I'm looking forward to seeing you hammer in nails shirtless. I heard the sun in Maine is hot…"

No, the Maine sun wasn't hot, but my mate's thoughts were…

Later, as I was busy packing up Emmett and my room I heard Seth's motorcycle screeching down the highway like a beast. Rosalie was insistent that she be the sole maintainer of his vehicles, so the unique tune-ups that Rosalie was famous for yielded a unique sound to my sensitive ears.

Seth didn't bother to knock at the door, as those pleasantries had eroded years ago, and bounded up the stairs three at a time.

"Sup?" Seth tapped his knuckles to mine and flung himself down on my bed. He froze for a minute.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, the bed spread is clean," I muttered.

"Just checking," Seth responded. "I mean for how much you guys get busy, it would be easy to forget."

"We were at the beach last night for your information. And I don't forget, you know, the whole crystal clear memory thing!" I tapped my temple. Emmett and I had gone to the beach every evening since _The Conversation_. He and I would sit and talk about life, enjoy each other's company in various fashions, and then run back home before the morning beachgoers arrived. I was at home near the sea. This was odd given that I spent my first life smack dab in the middle of the continent. In the end though, I was happy that our new location was right on a large body of water—the Atlantic.

"How's the packing going?" Seth asked as he took stock of the boxes that surrounded me. "I'm all ready to go. Mom helped me pack last night. Didn't have too much stuff, which is good. Mom wants you to come over and say goodbye before we leave by the way."

I nodded. "I promise."

"Anyways, those movers that Esme got came and picked up my stuff this morning. When I signed the receipt it said it was going to a storage garage in Boise. I'm not sending my stuff into exile, am I?"

I laughed. "No, it's one of Jasper's arrangements. It would push the Forks gossip mill into full gear if it got out that your stuff, plus Jake's, plus ours were all going to the same location in Maine, at the same time. Another moving company will pick up your stuff in Boise and it will be waiting for you when we get out to Maine.

"Oh by the way, I have your new identity papers and a new cell phone. Do you want to have the talk? You can take notes, if you'd like, but you must destroy them within sixty seconds of reading them." I rustled through the myriad of boxes and pulled a shiny black lockbox to my hip.

"Oh wait, I'm I being indoctrinated into some secret spy agency now?" Seth goaded.

I bit my tongue stop from laughing. Jasper would be so mad at me if I didn't get my serious face on for this _briefing_… Oh geez, _it was_ going to be secret spy agent between Seth and I. It's hard for me to be serious around him. We play off each other so easily.

"Shit," I said trying to hold my laughter in. I shook my head and took a seat on my bed with the lockbox between Seth and I.

I put my thumb on the biometrics reader and entered the nine-digit code on the keypad. The system recognized my identity and promptly unlocked. How advanced this lockbox was compared to the ones we used to have still astounded me.

After the Nate Farling debacle so long ago, Jasper purchased these new lockboxes at forty-five grand a piece. Not only was the lockbox made of titanium, it had a GPS tracking unit that a special security service could use to _secure _the lockbox in the event it was lost or stolen. The dealer didn't elaborate on the methods used to secure our property or its legality for that manner, but Jasper didn't inquire further however. What sold him, and in turn me, was the lockbox's document destruction mechanism. If the lock were compromised, an acid would be released within destroying the contents. We tested that acid on the myriad of documents that we would put in it: passports, cash, and IDs. All of them dissolved in the liquid quite beautifully.

This lockbox was for Seth exclusively.

"It's so shiny," Seth cooed reverently.

"Yes, well it's also your new life. Are you ready for this?"

"Is this like the sex talk? My mom beat you to that fifteen years ago," Seth joked.

"Well, it isn't like you put that talk to good use _if you know what I mean!_"

Seth glared at me. "Okay, let's do this. Talk."

I pulled out Seth's new cell phone and handed it to him. "I already put the family's new numbers in it. Your new number has Maine's '207' area code. Don't forget to let your Mom and Leah know the number has changed. Destroy the old phone."

Seth nodded.

"And here are a set of documents that substantiate your new alias, Seth Bruno Cullen." I handed Seth his new birth certificate, Maine driver's license, passport, social security card. It was now very difficult to forge these types of documents given the era of terrorism and identity theft we all lived in today. This difficulty meant that if you had a good forgery, it was more likely to be accepted simply by virtue of the belief that forging a passport _was impossible_. Being able to manipulate the very chemical and physical nature of objects came in real handy in the forgery business. Inserting a watermark, creating a reflective hologram, manufacturing forgery pen tester-proof paper… These were all child's play to me. There was literally no difference between a real and fake document.

"Bruno?" Seth eyed me suspiciously.

"It's a Catholic Saint's name. I'm Logan Dominic, named for Saint Dominic, patron saint of astronomers."

"I didn't know you were Catholic…" Seth whispered. "So who is Bruno the patron saint of?"

"Yeah, I was raised Catholic before the change. Saint Bruno is the patron saint of the Calabria region in Italy."

"Where's that?" Seth asked.

"Italy or Calabria?" I threw out jokingly.

"Calabria, you ass!" Seth punched my shoulder. It sounded like he punched a rock. "Fuck!"

"Break your hand, you big baby?" I said refusing to look at Seth's hand thereby giving him no satisfaction that I was concerned for his broken phalanges. After hearing the crunches of resetting bone, I knew I could continue. "To answer your question, Calabria is like the 'boot' of Italy. You know, the land mass that is kicking Sicily towards the western Mediterranean."

"Let me go and phase, then I'll kick your Sicily towards the western Pacific," Seth said angrily.

"I won't lie… That was horribly lame," I said through a toothy grin.

"Okay ANYWAYS, I'm named after a Catholic saint even though I'm not Catholic. What else do you got for me?" Seth said eying up the lockbox.

"You might want to memorize Saint Bruno's background. It might come in handy if someone asks you about your name," I cautioned. "But yeah, ANYWAYS here two more sets of documents for two more alias: Seth Allan Middleton and Adam John Smith.

"You'll need to memorize every detail about all three alias. You can develop their backgrounds on your own, but make sure you inform the family about the background. Like, what your first memory was, how you felt when Esme and Carlisle adopted you, and even what your _new_ favorite color is. Emmett said it was easy to take on someone else's preferences after a move. For example, you think you know that Emmett's favorite color is green, right? Well, that is untrue. His favorite color is really blood orange. Go figure!

"These alias are your life the moment we leave Forks. For all intents and purposes, Seth _Clearwater_ stays here in Washington. I hope you understand what you are giving up." I tried to be as sincere and honest as possible. This may be my first move as well, but I had ten years before being a Cullen to change alias, personality, and preferences. It was very handy on the hunt, human hunt that is.

"No, I understand Logan." The seriousness in Seth's voice overtook the room. I was convinced that he knew what was at stake. There was no need to push the point.

"Okay," I nodded. "Then this is the last thing. Read it when you're alone. Then allow Leah and your Mom read it too. You must memorize this and then burn it. We can discuss it if you would like, but I have a feeling that a discussion won't be necessary. This is secret agent spy to the ultimate. I just hope you understand and can appreciate the amount of trust my family is putting in you."

With a confused look on his face, Seth took the manila envelope from hands. He slid it into his leather jacket pocket. We didn't speak for a long minute.

Finally, Seth asked, "Wasn't your original name Middleton?"

He knew a lot about my past, but not so much about my first life. I nodded. "I can't use that name for at least another eighty years so I figured my best friend could use it."

"That's so touching," Seth said sarcastically.

"Ass," I spat.

"ANYWAYS, what's with this last one… Adam Smith… Like the inventor of modern economics?"

"See, you learned something when I tutored you!" I exclaimed. "Besides, the more obscure the name, the less likely it will be traced to you, Seth Clearwater."

"It's my life now," Seth said. "Obscurity."

"Obscurity is safe," I observed. "Plus it gives you the opportunity to reinvent yourself. It'll be fun. You can be whoever you wanted to be when you were a kid. Only in Maine, you'll be playing the part of a kid again."

"Honestly, I need to get out of this town. I'm not aging and people on the Reservation have noticed. Holy shit," Seth said exasperated. He rolled his eyes for good measure. "I must be a Cullen. Keeping the wolf thing a secret is as important as keeping the existence of your kind a secret. The normal world can no longer understand that beings such as we exist."

"Prophetic," I said sarcastically. "But it's nothing I haven't heard before."

"Shut up, douche." Seth took a pillow and threw it at my face with supernatural speed and precision.

I squished the pillow into a ball and threw it back at Seth. If I had thrown it a little harder than I did, I would have broken his nose. And Seth probably would have phased right there and then and purposely fucked up my packing process.

Seth stared at me through squished eyes.

"I knew I smelled doggie." Emmett rounded the corner into our bedroom. "Hey, Seth! Making my bed smell like wet dog are we?"

"Sounds like you've been spending all your time on my Rez so I figured I'd mark some new territory." Seth rolled around in the king-size plus bed.

"Well played, well played," Emmett commented. He turned to me and grabbed my hand. "Babe, the movers are here and Esme wants us to help direct them."

I listened downstairs and heard nine distinct heartbeats aside from Seth and Ness'.

Directing the movers was easy enough, but I became so annoyed by one of the movers when he commented on my _assumed_ inability to move a wardrobe down the stairs. "Watch it son, you're going drop it!" he yelled as he barreled up the stairs. His large beer belly squished to the sides and it bumped one of the remaining picture frames from the wall. It came down crashing. I stared at the mover with disdain.

I had the briefest idea of dropping the wardrobe on the douchebag, but Emmett, knowing me better than myself, met the mover and I on the stairs and offered to 'help' us move the wardrobe the rest of the way. For being a hellion, when it came to pranks on humans, vampires, and me for that matter, he could be very mature… sometimes.

"Ever my savior," I whispered sarcastically to Emmett.

"You love me," was his only response.

"True," I quipped. Emmett, the fat mover, and I put the wardrobe down on the porch and Emmett and I stood back as the human struggled to push it the rest of the way.

Esme was behind in him a vampire second. "Don't scratch the feet! This is an antique!"

"Douche bag," I commented quietly.

"Language!" Esme chided out loud.

The fat mover gave Esme a perplexed look.

Meanwhile, Emmett winked at me, which got me all hot and bothered. He grabbed my hand and dragged me up to our bedroom. Seth was still on my bed thumbing through his lockbox and papers as Emmett and I walked in.

"Seth, Esme wants to know if you can move your motorcycle. It's in the way of the movers," Emmett lied coolly. I looked out the window to see that Esme had turned to face our bedroom. Her face scrunched with the same perplexity that the fat mover had given her only moments earlier. Seth, who couldn't see Esme from his vantage point, promptly agreed and left the room.

"Em, that was really smooth," I said as he closed the door and locked it. Emmett ran at vampire speed and closed the gap between us in a flash. His lips were on my own at equal speed. Rapturous applause exploded within me as Emmett showed me how much he loved me. I slid my hand beneath his sweatpants and grabbed a fistful of his cock. No underwear? Logan like. Emmett growled deeply as I ran my thumb over his tip. My thumb became slick with Emmett's anticipation. I pulled out of his sweats and put my thumb in my mouth. Savoring Emmett's essence made him growl in desire and frustration. I would draw this tortuous pleasure out.

I pulled away from him and smiled evilly. I slung my hand back to him and grabbed him at the waistband of his sweats.

Pulling him into our gigantic closet, he asked, "But babe, why don't we just, you know, on the bed?" He gulped down a pool of venom.

"The linens need to be washed. I love my best friend, but I don't love his scent. Especially when you and I are about to get busy," I reasoned. "That's a little too weird… even in this family."

"My mate, the ever rational," Emmett commented.

"Let's be irrational in the closet together," I said as I tugged on his sweats again.

The closet was empty, which gave us plenty of room to maneuver. I gave Emmett's sweats one last tug and they ripped right off him. I would have said "oops," but Emmett was keeping my mouth occupied with his own. My hands roamed his shoulders and then followed the muscled contours of his chest. I reached around and this time, grabbed double fistfuls of Emmett's dimpled ass. Whoever said he only had a dimpled smile? I pulled him into me, our cocks ground into each other, separated only by my jeans and briefs.

My mate was all mine in that moment. All mine.

...

The evening crept upon the Cullen household and the house itself had essentially been vacated of all things. All that remained were my family and a bed for Ness. As she slumbered, Edward called us all into the yard. The moon was out and it gave everyone around me a ghostly glow. It was their skin that was their crutch. It always gave away that they were different. Guilt washed over me because I knew that this would never be my crutch.

Edward obviously avoided the fit I was having within myself and spoke his concern. "I wanted to speak to you all apart from Ness, Jacob, and Seth. It has been a few weeks since we decided to move to Maine and though they do not show it, Seth, and especially Jacob, are worried about moving so far away."

Jasper interrupted Edward. "It is the logical thing to do. If we stay in the Pacific Northwest, it is that much more likely that we will run into those we have met here in Forks. Had we stayed in Forks for a shorter time span, we could've remained closer. This is the safest course of action.

"We cannot move to Portland for we risk running into Mike and Jessica Newton. Seattle is definitely out of the question, although Lauren Mallory will be in the state penitentiary there for another five years."

I had to agree with Jasper. Staying in this region was a bad idea.

Edward turned to Jasper. "I agree also, however can I assume their worry has been picked up by you?"

Jasper nodded.

Rosalie perked up and asked, "What do you propose Edward?"

"We have discussed in the past, but I think it might be a good idea to purchase a private jet."

Edward's suggestion blew me away. Private jet? That is a bit showy, wasn't it?

"Rock on!" Emmett exclaimed. "Finally, I can use my pilot's license!"

I turned to Emmett. "YOU have a pilot's license?"

"Yeah, babe! I got it when we were up in Alaska. Now that is the place that it wasn't weird to have a plane!"

"Learn something new about you every day, Emmett Cullen," I commented.

"Logan, both Jasper and I also have pilot's licenses," Esme added. That was even more shocking than Emmett. "But what kind of plane, Edward? It would have to fit at least the ten of us."

"Alice?" Edward asked.

We all looked to Alice, who was searching the future for the perfect purchase. She smiled widely.

"Understood, Alice," Edward said. "Because of the immediate need of the aircraft, where a typical order would take six months to a year to be delivered, we'll need to make a phone call tonight to Dassault Aviation. A Dassault Falcon 7X was supposed to be delivered to one of the country's major banks, but with all the political pressure from Washington about executive perks, it seems the bank is foregoing delivery. Dassault has a brand new plane with no owner. The problem is its cost: a little over fifty million dollars."

Carlisle jumped into the conversation before Jasper could. "Edward, that is a lot of money. Transferring that amount could set off red flags."

Jasper's concern was evident too and Edward was surely getting a mindful of caution from Jasper.

Alice chimed in after finishing her vision. "Both the bank and the manufacturer want this to go away quietly. Perhaps we could contact the bank and offer to buy it off them. That way we could take delivery from Dassault in Seattle, but it would have been the bank that made the transfer. We could just put the fifty million into the bank's… bank account. I'm sure the bank would agree to a secrecy clause as payment for us taking the plane off their hands."

Emmett was bored with the wheeling and dealing. "So can we get the plane?"

Edward looked to Carlisle. "If we can get the secrecy clause, would you agree? Would everyone agree? This is a family decision not because it is so expensive but because we are going to have to come up with a good cover story if it gets out that we have a private plane. This is for Seth and Jake's wellbeing. They are part of the family now, but they have family and responsibilities back here. It's the right thing to do. It's the right risk to take."

"Let's do it," Carlisle commanded.

Within hours and several phone calls and emails later, Edward tapped the enter key on the largest financial transaction the Cullen's had ever seen. Money might have been just a thing to us, but it still horrifying the amount of zeros that existed on the transfer.

"Let's keep it a secret from Jake, Seth, and Ness," Esme suggested. "It will be just a wonderful surprise for them."

I shook my head trying to get the zeros out of my head. Finally empty, my head turned to the side and my eyes fell upon a manila envelope lying alone on the cold, ceramic floor.

It was just waiting to be picked up by someone.

Someone who shouldn't read it.

Someone who couldn't read it.

I was going to kill Seth.


	3. Ch 3: More Than One Departure

It was late May and we were leaving tonight. Jacob and Ness were on the Reservation saying their goodbyes to Billy. Edward, Bella, Seth, and I were driving ourselves over to Charlie and Sue's to say our own goodbyes.

As we were entering the fair-sized house that Bella grew up in, Jake sent a text to Seth. I knew who it was because of Seth's ringtone for Jake: _Michael Jackson's Thriller_.

Edward smiled. Damn, mind scanner, brother…

"What's going on, Seth?" Bella asked as we climbed the steps to the front door. She shared my thoughts on Edward's failure to inform us what he glossed from Seth's mind.

Seth clicked his phone to vibrate. His mom absolutely hated when someone's phone went off when family was together. "I guess Jake was able to convince Billy to get on a plane for the first time in his life and come to Maine for Christmas."

I wondered if we should invite Sue and Charlie too. Would Leah come too? I laughed internally at that thought.

Sometime shortly after the Volturi left us that fateful day in the meadow, Leah had gone on to the University of Washington and graduated with a degree in financial planning. Even Sue was surprised with Leah's choice of field, but it seemed to suit her well in the end. She worked in Port Angeles and because she kept bankers' hours she remained involved with the Tribe and her wolf duties. Jacob was rather vocal in questioning why Leah continued to participate. Sam Uley may have stopped phasing years ago, but that didn't mean he wasn't involved in training the newer wolves, and his proximity was a constant reminder of what Leah had lost. She still hadn't imprinted and that fact constantly bombarded her.

Silently, I came to know that Leah feared growing old alone and continued to phase to maintain her youth. She would play off her loneliness by acting fiercely independent, but I knew otherwise. I knew mostly because I put off that facade for a long time myself.

And I was successful until I met Emmett. That man made me turn into a dramatic, co-dependent fool. Ugh.

Every now and again, I contemplated telling Leah that I knew just so that she would know that she really wasn't alone. But in the end I didn't. She was still uneasy about us vampires even if her Tribe and her pack were not. Perhaps one day.

Entering the house, I heard Sue Clearwater yell that they were in the kitchen. Our party meandered through the living room and into the kitchen where we found Sue drying her hands with a dishtowel. Charlie was at the kitchen table perusing through the newspaper. I took a quick look around the kitchen. Nothing had changed in a decade.

"Here… You dry!" Sue said as threw the towel at Charlie.

That certainly was a change. Sue ran the house now.

Charlie shook his head, but didn't complain. He got up and jumped into drying the dishes that Sue had just washed. Sue kept Charlie on his toes, and I think he liked it like that.

"How are you, kiddo?" Charlie asked as he gave Bella his signature awkward-Dad hug, one armed, which subtle taps on the back.

"Good, Dad," Bella said as she bit her lip. So much had changed in Bella (and Charlie's) life, but they were in classic form when they interacted.

Tiny Sue pulled Seth into a tight hug while Charlie asked about how our packing was going.

"It's all done, Dad," Bella informed. "Ness was packed first. She is probably the most excited to go—being able to be a teenager and go to high school and all."

"That wonderful little soul stopped by with Jake for lunch today," Sue said. "Charlie was crying like a baby when he had to say goodbye to his granddaughter."

I snickered, as Seth did too.

Charlie gave us a death glare. I'm sure Edward heard Charlie think, _I have a gun. I know how to use it._

I looked to Seth and said, mentally of course, _Yes, Charlie, we know you have a gun._

"And you," Sue grabbed my ice-cold body and gave it a tight squeeze. I returned the hug.

I laughed. "I'm going to miss you too, Momma C…"

Sue pulled us all into the living room to chat. She served coffee and muffins, but only Seth and Charlie consumed anything. I levitated my muffin to Seth's plate when Charlie wasn't looking.

Technically, Charlie Swan still didn't know that we were vampires. He knew that Seth and Jake were wolves though, so Charlie deduced enough to know that the Cullens were not human at least. The law said that humans couldn't know that vampires existed, not that they couldn't know that anything but humans existed. His daughter's transformation was obvious enough, but Charlie had balanced himself extremely well on the knowing/not-knowing seesaw. Charlie knew for his own safety and the safety of those closest to him that he need not know quite everything.

Time flew by in a flash and I looked at my watch and saw that nearly two hours had passed. I announced our need to get going.

Sue sighed.

"I know," Seth said as he clasped his mother's hand in his own burgeoning one. "I don't want to leave either, but you know why I have too."

Sue nodded. "I know, Love."

Hugs and well wishes were expressed on the lawn of the Swan residence. Bella and her father, and Seth and his mother embraced for a long time. I felt the briefest pang of loss for my mother—the human one that is. Then, I thought about what the loss of Esme would do to me, and in a sick sort of way, the loss I felt for my human mother was lessened. Losing my Mom—my vampire one—would destroy me.

While the Clearwater/Swan family was finishing up, Edward and I walked over to Edward's Volvo. Slowly, Seth and Bella climbed into their seats, and I was about to wave when I saw that Sue and Charlie were walking around to my side of the car.

I unrolled the window, but realized that etiquette required that I get out. I met Sue and Charlie's collective gaze with a knowing smile.

"Take care of him," Sue implored.

I nodded. "With my life."

Beneath the humans' hearing range Seth whispered, "Mom…" I thoroughly enjoyed Seth's embarrassment.

Sue gave me a smile, her own knowing smile. She knew that although Seth wasn't my biological brother, mate, or imprint, I would protect him as my best friend and as a brother. And he would do the same for me. The cliché goes that "blood is thicker than water," but "actions speak louder than words" too, which can lead to a thicker bond entirely.

After one a quick hug from Sue and a handshake from Charlie, I hopped into the Mercedes and we were off to our house one last time.

The sun had fully fallen behind the horizon by the time everyone had returned to the house. We were all in the living room together waiting for someone to make the first move. I looked around the room and smiled.

Ness sighed. "I don't want to go. This is all I've ever known. There are so many memories here—the good and the bad. I'm worried that when we leave here, nothing will ever be the same." Ness had a lot of mixed emotions. I shared them too. So much had happened here that the thought of moving on seemed daunting.

"You're right Ness. They won't be the same. They'll be better," Jacob said hugging Ness from behind. It was a tender moment, which left Esme beaming. Even Edward seemed less edgy at Jacob and Ness's proximity.

Bella shuffled so that we could all meet her gaze. In Bella's eloquent voice, she said, "We'll be back here one day. This is home. But home is also where your family is. So as long as we're together, we'll be home."

So true.

"Yeah, when can we return? I mean—permanently," Seth asked quietly.

Edward made the decision and spoke. "Because we have made such an impression on this area, we will have to stay away for longer than we might otherwise would. I would suggest at least one hundred years. That would give us a good cushion between generations."

"I agree," Jasper said.

I tried to gauge Seth's reaction, but he had hidden his face from me before I could get a good read. He seemed to be really interested in a pine tree that grew just outside the window.

A long silence overtook the room and it wasn't until my loud, obnoxious mate opened his mouth did it end.

"Well, we have a plane to catch!" Emmett announced clapping his hands together. Both Bella and I shot daggers at Emmett from our eyes. If he gives away the plane secret, I will literally rip his head off!

"What?" he asked. "Are we going to stand around here all night or are we going to get on with our lives? There is plenty to see and do! _We got to get to the airport or we'll miss our flight! It'll leave without us._"

Nice save, ass. I looked to Bella and we silently agreed that big surprise was still secret.

The Cullens began to shuffle about the house to take one last look for forgotten articles. Everyone knew that there was nothing forgotten, but nostalgia was running rampant in the house. So many memories…

...

A long caravan of vehicles made their way down the winding driveway to the highway. We already had half of the vehicles picked up by a semi-trailer and put into to storage until the new house was finished. All that was remaining was my Mustang, Esme's Escalade, Rosalie's BMW, Jacob's Rabbit, and Seth's bike. We would all drive the vehicles to a commercial transportation company in Seattle. The company would transport our cars across the country to Maine for us. Carlisle flashed his AMEX Centurion Card at them and they offered to expedite the service.

As the darkened house fell out of my rearview mirror, I glanced over the caravan. I was thoroughly impressed with Rosalie's penchant for auto mechanics. Everything was beautifully maintained. My Mustang, for example, had rolled over two hundred thousand miles years ago and it still purred like the day I got it. _Maybe it was time for a new vehicle?_ I pondered.

"Where are you?" Emmett asked, breaking me out of my inner monologue. He was insistent that he and I go together, alone, in my Mustang. Mostly it was so Emmett could tell me more facts about the new jet, which was being fueled up and prepped for takeoff as we drove. I would've preferred Emmett's reasoning to be more about us, but the sound of Emmett's voice never got old to me. He continued to banter on about the specs and capabilities. I would give him nods or verbal "uh-huhs" to keep him going.

I just focused on the evening drive and kicked my Mustang into sixth gear. The speed was exhilarating. The speed didn't last because sooner than later we arrived at the vehicle transportation company.

There was a long, black hummer limo sitting in the parking lot.

"Logan Cullen, our chariot awaits!" Emmett declared with his signature toothy grin with dimples out in full force. We got out of the Mustang and Emmett pulled what little luggage we had from the trunk and gave it to the chauffeur.

"THAT is gaudy. What happened to a low profile?" Bella asked seriously.

"Come one Bells, we're going to the airport. Nobody will think twice. Alice?" Emmett defended.

"I wouldn't _know_. I can't actually see what our arrival would do," Alice said frustratingly. She may have been around the wolves and Ness for years, but she still struggled seeing them in her visions. She said that it was easier to see what was going on _around_ the fuzzy spots that Ness or the others create.

"It will be fine," Edward declared, pulling Bella to his side.

"Whoa, Eddy's lightening up. Is this a new thing? Emmy like," said Emmett.

"Emmy?" I asked incredulously. "Not going to happen.

Edward shrugged his shoulders and pulled Bella in for a quick kiss. "I kind of like 'Emmy.'"

"What?" Bella, Emmett, and I said in unison. Maybe Eddy was lightening up. Did hell freeze over? I mean, I could literally check.

Carlisle and Esme walked into the office to drop off our keys and sign paperwork. The rest of us climbed into the limo. Seth and Jacob's stomachs were gurgling all across town to the airport. I practically forced (with my ability that is) the chauffeur to pull into a McDonald's parking lot. I was that annoyed. Each wolf consumed four Big Macs value meals. We drove with the windows down. The smell was that awful, but… the absence of gurgling was sublime.

In between bites, Jacob asked if we were going to be late with all the stops and delays.

Alice saved the day this time. "No Jake, I knew we would have all these stops so I made sure to plan that we left with plenty of time."

Internally, I rolled my eyes. The big surprise would be sprung soon enough. The excitement was building. I looked to Jasper, who was positively giddy. Damn, emotional sponge.

The chauffeur got off the freeway and into the departure drop off lane. When he didn't stop at the terminal, Seth mentioned to the driver that we needed to get off here.

"No, sir!" he said in a thick eastern European accent. "I've been givin' directions to the private departures hangers!"

"Private departures?" Seth asked.

Jake eyed Ness who eyed her parents.

Beneath the ears of the chauffer, Eddy cautioned to ask after we were dropped off.

Seth nodded nonchalantly, like he was some sort of spy receiving secret intel.

I muffled a laugh.

The limo stopped at hangar eighteen. We all piled out of the limo while our human chauffeur weakly pulled our luggage out of the trunk. He was going to carry it all into the hanger, but Emmett, who was getting impatient, offered to do it and gave the chauffeur a hundred dollar tip. The chauffer dropped the suitcases into Emmett's waiting hands and took off.

Emmett put the luggage down and looked at us all wide-eyed. It was Christmas for Emmett. "Can I show them? Can I show them?"

Bella shook her head and looked to the rest of us who knew. "I don't see why not."

Emmett pushed the entire family to the front of the hanger and when he had everyone positioned just right, Ness, Seth, and Jake in front, Emmett flitted to the hanger controls and hit the door button. The doors creaked open slowly. It added to the dramatic effect and I knew Emmett was in his element. There was nothing better than getting a new toy and showing it off to everyone at the same time.

Slowly, our brand new Dassault Falcon 7Z came into view. The hangar lights bounced off the sleek aircraft. It was even gaudier than the limo. It was a sleek white with twin turbojet engines in the tail section. There was a singular gold line that traversed either side of the fuselage until it disappeared near the engines.

"Beautiful," Emmett moaned.

"Watch out, Logan, I think Emmett found a new lover." Eddy's jest got me all riled up, but I refused to get jealous by this piece of equipment.

I sighed. "It's not all that shocking. Worst things have replaced me. Like the Playstation Four, that Legend of Zelda game…"

"That mini-motocross bike that he _just had to have_…" Rose added.

"That he destroyed my garden with…" Esme jumped in.

"Oh, then it was that riding lawn mower with the tiller attachment," Seth quipped.

"Until he thought it was a good idea to drive over that steel pipe after betting Jasper that the blade on the mower was strong enough," I concluded.

"Thank God my knee was strong enough," Alice added furiously. "That thing would of sliced it right off!"

"Alright!" Emmett threw up his hands in surrender. "I know, I obsess, but this isn't just for me! Really, it's for you three."

"Who?" Jake asked.

Bella cleared her throat. "Well Jake, you were worried about moving so far away and well, we all decided that with this," she pointed at the gaudy craft, "you, Seth, and even you, Ness, can travel back to La Push whenever you want. Jasper, Emmett, and Esme are all licensed pilots on this type of aircraft."

"Esme?" Seth asked. He didn't even bother to hide the shock in his voice.

"Oh yes dear," Esme giggled to herself. "I had a lot of free time on my hands when all the youngins' started to go to school. I had to do something to keep my mind occupied. I mean flying lessons, why not?"

"Why not?" Seth responded.

"Welp, shall we?" Emmett waved towards the vehicle.

"Wait!" Edward said. "We have something for our flight crew."

Alice ripped open her gigantic suitcase and handed garment bags to Emmett, Esme, and Jasper. "Go put them on!"

At vampire speed, the three returned with the best custom pilots uniforms I had ever seen.

"Oh my Soul," I swooned at the sight of Emmett in his pilot's uniform. Oh man, I loved a man in uniform. I had to swallow a huge pool of venom, which characteristically formed whenever I viewed Emmett.

Emmett smoothed his collar and straightened his tie a bit. He looked at me and asked, "Sup?"

Sup in deed!

"You look stunning, my dear." Carlisle walked to Esme's side and dipped her low. She giggled as he laid a kiss on her lips.

Seth started to cackle all of a sudden, which broke me out of my lusty reverie.

"What?" Emmett asked. "Is my fly unzipped?"

_I could unzip it for you_, I thought. I couldn't control my thought processes at all.

"Ew," Edward threw in my direction.

Seth fell to one knee and then looked up again. "Sorry, but…" he laughed again. "Look at your name tags!"

I had been so caught up in the sight of my mate that I didn't look at his detailed named tag. When I read it, I too started to laugh hysterically.

Emmett read the tag too.

It read: "Emmett, Chief Stewardess."

"WHAT THE HELL! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Emmett boomed.

Esme looked at her tag. "I don't see what the problem is Emmett. I am the matriarch; I should be the Captain."

"Oh, babe," I whispered. "You will be the best steward_ess_, ever."

"It is a perfectly honorable profession," Carlisle added.

Nobody dared laugh. Carlisle may have been serious, but we were ten seconds from an Emmett tantrum that even I couldn't stop. Emmett had been so looking forward to this plane too. He was now relegated to the stewardship, if in name only.

Bella elbowed Edward in the ribs and after she gave him the evil eye, Edward pulled a new nametag out of his pocket and gave it to Emmett. "That was for calling me Eddy." Edward pinned the new tag on Emmett's chest. "This one is for being the best damn brother I know despite being the most annoying."

The new tag read: Emmett, First Officer. Emmett thumbed it reverently. "I can deal with this, but watch out Esme, I'm in the market to steal your job."

"Oh love, you and Jasper can have the controls in our inaugural flight. It will give Carlisle more time to ogle me in the back."

"Ew," I said. "I'll be in the back too. That is disgusting."

"You wouldn't think so if it was Emmett on your lap," Jazz jested evilly. "Mr. Cullen, would you like me to warm up your hot towel?"

"What…" Seth eyes were wide.

"Jasper, I'm going to melt your head through the floor and have Em fly through a flock of birds." My threat was in good fun, but the fact I could do it didn't escape Jasper's thought process.

"Don't mess with my bird. It's a beauty," Emmett warned me.

Traitor.


	4. Ch 4: Home Sweet Home

Summer had snuck by and we had successfully snuck onto the island. Truly, I did not know where my summer went. Well, that was a lie. I knew where. The fucking house…

_Renovating_ Esme's house turned out to be a complete and utter _reconstruction_ project. And the fact that it took almost three months to _almost_ complete should give you a strong notion of how much of a bitch it was to complete. We, as a family, have faced destruction by hordes of newborns, a pack of shape shifters, and the leaders of our world, and won. This, I'm shocked all of us even survived. Twelve opinions about every last thing didn't get us anywhere at first so Esme delegated the decision making out. The family would have self-destructed had she not delegated.

In the end, the property was a compound to behold. It had one main house, a barn, and a boathouse near the water. The property lines were a ten by ten acre square smack dab in the middle of the Acadia National Park. We had hundreds of feet of prime coastline to ourselves and the forest was thick with old growth trees. Any human trespasser would have to proceed on foot for several acres before they got anywhere near, and with our senses, we would sense a trespasser that far away anyways. There was one single driveway that came in from the two-lane highway. For added privacy, we installed an automatic gate at the entrance. The salesman commented it could withstand a tank. Hopefully, it would survive Emmett's driving. It didn't raise that fast.

Everything needed sixty years worth of updates. I'm still shocked the roof hadn't caved in on the house during its elongated vacancy. It was an old Victorian with three stories and a basement, and the front of the house faced south with a covered porch that wrapped around in both directions. Esme decided to repaint it the colors she remembered from when she and Carlisle stayed there, mauve with white trim. I wasn't about to complain. It looked great when it was completed.

Atop the third story of the main house were dual cupolas on either side. Each one was large enough to serve as a good-sized bedroom plus bathroom and closet. They had a full 360-degree view; to the west and south laid the vast Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north laid the forest. Ness and Seth each took one of the cupola rooms.

The second and third floors consisted of six bedrooms, each with en suite bathrooms and closet the size of _another_ bedroom. Bella and Edward, Alice and Jasper, and Emmett and I would take the three bedrooms on the third floor while Esme and Carlisle, and Rosalie would take two bedrooms on the second floor.

Emmett let me decorate our room to my exacting preferences. In line with the New England location we were now living in, I opted for navy paint to cover the walls with snow-white paint along the trim. Our King size bed was covered with a plush down comforter and pillows that matched trim. A wall of windows faced the ocean and a fresh breeze always greeted us when they were open. Adorned upon the three remaining walls I made sure to put up the pictures and mementos that I knew Emmett cherished, not that he would ever admit it. He was not an emotional sap by any means (I was emotional for the both of us. Ugh.), but over the years I had caught him enjoying certain pictures or souvenirs that we have collected together: Bella's wedding guarder that he wrestled Mike Newton for, a collection of Jack Daniels No. 7 whiskey bottles and other memorabilia, pictures of the family, and most of all, pictures of he and I. One special picture sat on the mantle above the fireplace. It was a simple five by seven framed picture of Emmett and I on a hunting trip in northern British Columbia. Neither of us were wearing anything special. I was living it up in a pair of carpenter jeans, a Forks High hoodie, and brown leather boots. Alice was so pissed that I even thought about carpenter jeans, but I thought I looked good. Emmett's bugged out eyes told me as much. Emmett meanwhile was decked out in total lumberjack attire—plaid button up, suspenders, Carhartt• overalls, complete with a hunter orange winter hat. Yeah, my eyes bugged out too. Lumberjacks. Oi. When Edward shot the picture, I was leaning against a massive tree smiling towards the camera while Emmett, who caught the scent of a grizzly bear was looking pass me. It appeared as if Emmett was crooning over me. Esme gushed. I laughed at the mistake, but Emmett always paused with this picture. At first, I thought he was reliving the succulent kill he experienced shortly thereafter, but now, I know it was that it was just a perfect day—he and I—plus our family. A perfect day.

That… made me gush. But away with my aside…

The third bedroom on the second floor was supposed to be Jacob's, but as completion neared, Edward voiced his opposition to his daughter and presumptive son-in-law living in the same house before marriage. Apparently, "living in sin" was a line that Edward refused to cross. I think it was because it was a line he could directly control. It caused quite the uproar and embarrassment by Ness, and incessant teasing by Emmett and Seth. I'm shocked we didn't find Emmett's head in the Atlantic on a few occasions.

The issue of where Jacob would live was quickly solved when Esme suggested that we turn the upstairs of the barn into living quarters. The barn itself was huge. It could easily fit all the cars, motorcycles, and other toys that we had collected over the years with space to spare. I was sure that Rosalie and Jacob would find a good use for that spare space though. Those two only got along when they were in the garage, which was rather strange. Instead of fighting it out, they would work it out by working on Edward's Vanquish or Seth's Ducati. I would call it a bromance, but Rose was definitely not a bro by any measure!

Back at the main house, the first floor of the house was dedicated to communal living. It had a large kitchen with commercial-grade equipment, a formal dining room that could seat 26, a formal living room with Edward's grand piano serving as the centerpiece, a library stocked full of the family's favorites, an office, and a main foyer that led out the front door and to a circular driveway. Each room had a fireplace and a bin right next to it stocked to the brim with firewood.

My favorite parts of the house were the hallways and staircases as Esme made sure to decorate them with family pictures, paintings, and heirlooms. Each piece of decor had a story behind it and I frequently found myself in conversations with my family over the story of even obscure pieces.

The basement was finished off and split into two parts: the "Man Cave" and the "Lady Chamber." As one can imagine, the Man Cave had every guy-thing that my mate, my brothers, and I could imagine. We're talking every game console ever created, a pool table, pinball machines, Jasper and Emmett's chess setup, and the largest TV on the market, a whooping twelve feet wide by nine feet tall complete with holographic interface controls. The TV was definitely the crowning jewel of the Man Cave.

The Lady Chamber was a beauty salon complete with adjustable chairs, full-length mirrors, and every beauty magazine there was. Alice had recently gotten into designing fashion so she set up her sewing machines, mannequins, and fabric rolls in the Chamber as well. I would be willing to play dress up with her. I might still think fashion is ridiculous, but damn, Alice didn't let me leave the house looking like a dope, ever. Perhaps I could wrangle Emmett into partaking in Alice's hobby? Damn, that boy looks good in a tight pair of jeans.

From the basement, you could exit outside through a pair of French doors to an outside patio on the western facing side of the house. There, a large pool complete with a Jacuzzi sat invitingly. Picnic tables were adjacent to the pool and a grilling station sat ready to cook up whatever Jake and Seth's stomachs felt like. Lounge chairs circled the pool and Jacuzzi, and rounded out the whole atmosphere quite well.

After a fifty-yard walk out the front door, you were at the boathouse. It was broken into an upper and lower level with stairs connecting the two. On the lower level was an open space for a medium to large ocean-going boat to moor. The upper level was turned into a guesthouse complete with two bedrooms, a full bathroom, kitchen, and living room. A beautiful white washed fireplace finished off the living room. Large French-paned windows allowed visitors to view not only the ocean, but the house as well.

We were home, but unfortunately, we couldn't enjoy it for long because high school was starting on Monday. It was Friday night. Fuck.

When the sun finally fell behind the forested horizon, we all met on the beach for a family bonfire. Our property jutted out into the Atlantic a bit so we had plenty of beach on either side. It was a bit rocky between the grass of our yard to the sand, but it was easy enough to navigate given our innate agility and reflexes.

Emmett and I moved some large sun bleached logs around a makeshift fire pit that Jacob and Seth dug with their bare paws earlier in the day. The ladies scoured the beach for the perfect rocks to line the pit with and choice firewood.

The flame warmed my chilled skin and Emmett moved to sit beside me. The three-ton log, I had just moved, served as the perfect backrest, not that I needed any rest or anything.

"How was your day, my love?" Esme asked as she sat next to her mate.

"Wonderful," Carlisle responded with a kiss on Esme's ear. "Better now that I'm with you and our family."

I wanted to puke, but I held it in. I definitely didn't want to ruin the moment.

I surveyed the people circling the fire. Rosalie had decided to take up our Denali brethren's offer to have Rosalie visit for a time at the end of this school year. She would have left right now, but Esme had already registered Rose for school. It would've raised some red flags if Rose just disappeared. I could tell it ate at Rose that she was alone. I knew she took solace once long ago in the fact that Emmett and Edward, her brothers for decades, were also alone. But now, Edward and Emmett had found their better halves and they were complete. Yes, I am Emmett's better half. Rose agreed that she would start at Mount Desert High School, the island's lone school, as a senior so she could conveniently graduate at the end of the year and go to college in Alaska.

Esme held Carlisle's hand in her lap, and she lazily rubbed her thumb over his palm. Esme decided that it was her turn to get a job, and she had secured employment at the island's historical society as an assistant curator. It was her job to secure grants to preserve the island's crumpling buildings and monuments. The job seemed to fit her well considering architecture was a passion of hers.

Carlisle started his job two weeks after we arrived on the island. He served as a roving physician at the island's multiple clinics. If he couldn't provide the requisite care, he could refer the patient to the hospital in town. Carlisle said that he enjoyed this position because it allowed him to meet a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't come to the hospital because they couldn't afford it. Carlisle always had a soft spot for the downtrodden and poor. His position also eased our introduction to the island because the position was in desperate need of filling and the residents were appreciative of his skill.

Next were the couples, Edward and Bella, and Jasper and Alice. They were conversing about the subjects they would be taking as sophomores. Nobody wanted to start out as freshmen again because one, who wants to be a freshman? And second, Bella had an itch to start college and getting there in three years rather than four seemed bearable. And where Bella went, Edward went with Alice dragging Jasper not far behind. I think Bella was going to be in for a mighty large shock "doing" high school this time around. Not that she wasn't beautiful as a human, but now she was immaculate and lacked the two left feet that too often pulled her down to the nasty gym floor at Forks High. No, Bella, I think, would enjoy high school this time around.

Ness and Jake sat directly opposite Emmett and I. They were completely silent, but with their hands clasped tightly together, I knew they were reveling in the proximity to each other. _Innocent enough_, I thought while directing my protective uncle instincts to take a chill pill. Ness and Jake would be starting out as freshman because Ness wanted the full high school experience. Having fulfilled the entire K to 12 curriculum and then some by age one, I knew Ness was going to rock high school. Ness looked like a freshman too, and oddly enough, so did Jacob. Ness may have hit her development years ago, but the girl knew how to dress the age she wanted to portray.

Jacob, on the other hand, literally aged younger. He was fully-grown man by age sixteen, but in line with the imprint, his body got younger to meet Ness's own development. Nobody noticed much because Ness grew so fast.

Last, but not least, Seth… He would be joining Emmett and I as juniors since he had no other reason to start at a different age. He also looked older so it made sense that he starts at in a later year. As he fiddled his thumbs, I felt sorry for him that he hadn't met his imprint yet. At my core, I believed that everyone had a soul mate. Having Emmett at my side was proof enough for me. But Seth would just have to wait, I guess. Who knows? He might find his imprint here in Maine.


	5. Ch 5: Trust Me

Author's Note: I wasn't happy with the progression of the story so I pushed (old) Ch. 5 "First Day of School, Again" back two chapters. In its place, I inserted new Ch. 5 and 6-a fun mini-trip for Seth, Logan, and family. As you'll see in the long run, it'll better illustrate the difficulties Seth faces and how his best friend, Logan, seeks to help.

If you already read (old) Ch. 5 "First Day of School, Again," no worries. (New) Ch. 5 and 6 occur the weekend before (old) Ch. 5 so the timeline isn't ruined and there aren't spoilers, just drama, drunk messes, and sexual escapades.

As always, comments are appreciated. Perhaps some suggestions on where, when, and with whom Seth should shack up with? This isn't to say that it's even going to happen in _Life Resolute_, but even I don't know the answer to that.

…

It was the Saturday; school started Monday. Ugh. As the morning sun broke past the eastern waves, those who slept awoke. And those who didn't sleep were finishing the night's activities, prurient or otherwise. One by one the Cullen family moseyed their way through the house getting ready for the day. By noon, I found myself at the Wii U2 with a very competitive Jake and Jasper and not so competitive Seth.

"Seth! How terrible can you get?!" Jake yelled. Jasper nodded in agreement.

Jesting by Jake and Jasper was terrible. Thankfully, Emmett was out hunting with Edward and Bella. If Emmett were added to the mix, Seth would have self-combusted.

"Seriously, you suck… Get it together!" I said. "You're killing us!"

And self-combustion occurred. (Had I taken on that much of Emmett's personality as my own?) Thankfully, Seth's controller was a holographic steering wheel. If it were real, when Seth threw it, the wall and the patio set on the other side would have been pulverized. We had just completed the house. We should try to not wreck it for at least a week.

"Fuck it, I'm done," Seth yelled. As he rose to his feet, I tried to smooth things over; it didn't work though. He was typically the mild mannered one so I was more than a little surprised. "Nah, Logan, I'm good. Just going to go for a run." He ripped his shirt off and flew out the Man Cave door.

I didn't hear him phase though so I went after him. It would probably piss him off more, but that is what best friends do. Piss each other off. I searched the property for Seth. For having a _unique_ scent, he was unusually difficult to track when he wanted to be stealthy. After a run through the forest, I found Seth on the part of the beach that was obscured from the house. I flitted to his side in an instant. The sun was blistering, but the breeze off the ocean kept the temperature nice and cool. There was no traffic on the water today. We had the world to ourselves.

"Missing home?" I asked, breaking the silence that loomed around us.

Seth buried his bare feet deep in the wet sand. "Nah."

Silence enveloped us again. Seth and I were rarely quiet. It was usually one of us telling the other to shut the hell up so the other could talk. I leaned back and sunk my elbows in the sand. "Worried about starting school?"

"Nah," Seth said again.

"Okay… Just not feeling MarioKart?"

Seth stared at me.

"Nah," I said _for him_. I looked away from his gaze and into the crashing waves. There was a scattering of small fish, lobster, and other crustaceans just below the surface. If I were to put my foot in the surf, they would all scatter. It was interesting that they didn't detect me, or notice me at the least, until my toe would breach their world.

"So are you going to tell me what's eating your smile?" I asked gently. "Or do I have to sit here all day in silence? I'll do whatever." And there we sat in total silence for an eternity. Fifteen minutes later, Seth turned to me and let out sigh, and then, a sad smile. Where was this going?

"Logan, what's it like when Emmett touches you?"

I chest tightened. "Huh?" I blurted out. I was in shock, I think.

"Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about… the hanky panky, the deed, the duty, some lovin…"

I cut him off with my hand. "I get it. Why?"

"I asked first."

"Seth, I'm not going to give you the down and _dirrty_ on my sex life. We're best friends, but we aren't THAT close." I laughed awkwardly.

Seth shook his head like I didn't understand his question. I clearly didn't. "I don't want to know the details," he clarified. "Just like I asked… what's it like? How does he make you feel?"

I eyed Seth cautiously. His gaze was serious.

"Well, you know that song your Mom hums in the morning when she leaves her and Charlie's house for work?"

"What song?" asked Seth.

"Madonna's _Like a Virgin_."

"Wait, what?!" Seth's voice went up an octave.

This was going to be tortuous for him. I laughed evilly. "Well, she doesn't do it all the time. Just the mornings she got lucky with Charlie!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" Seth said slowly and loudly.

"You would be amazed what a vampire knows. While you slept away in your room, Charlie and your Mom were well, didn't… sleep that is." My knowledge of the Swans was right on point. My knowledge of the habits of most residents in Forks and La Push were always on point. I had a lot of time on my hands.

I heard the grinding of Seth's teeth. Was he toying with the idea of pummeling me in the sand or not, I couldn't decide. "What…song… was… it…?" he finally asked.

I gave him a few lyrics. "_Like a virgin… Touched for the very first time… Like a virgin…_"

"OKAY, I GOT IT!" Seth balled his hands into fists and was hitting his head to get the imagery out. Thankfully, it was the imagery of his mom, and not Emmett and I.

I smiled. Silence enveloped us once more. I put on my serious face. "What is really going on?" I asked.

"This is weird. Talking about this with you, but I hope you can understand. I'm lonely."

Before I could stop myself, I raised an eyebrow. And before I could stop Seth, he was up on his feet walking away.

"Come back here!" I yelled. "I'm sorry. What do you mean?"

Refusing to face me, Seth told me to never mind.

"I'm not going to never mind you, dumb ass." I whipped Seth in the air and threw him into the surf.

Seth growled at me. I could see his body shimmer subtly. He was trying not to phase and bite my head off, literally.

"You know, I'll just do that to you again when you phase. Only you'll be a wet dog and Rose won't let you in the house."

Seth took one second and regained composure. "Rose is a bitch."

"And that is why we love her," I retorted.

Seth laughed. That was my Seth! Laughing. "I guess she isn't that bad."

"Meh, she has her moments… So what is eating you?" I asked bringing my serious face to bear on Seth. "You're lonely. What does that mean? Are you homesick?"

"No, I already told you, I'm not homesick. I'm actually relieved about that. It's a lot of pressure. I mean, if I'm on the Reservation, I have to hide what I am from most people, but then be willing to drop what I'm doing to save those people. Plus, I have my Mom and _her relationship_ with Charlie. It's weird. What am I supposed to call him… Dad? He was one of _my_ Dad's best friends. And then there is the whole…"

I cut Seth off. "Can I assume this is part where you explain the 'lonely' comment? Your misdirection won't defeat me. I have Emmett as a sensei in that department."

"Does he call out 'oh, grasshopper' during sex?" Seth said through a toothy grin.

I almost reacted, but slapped my palm into the sand. "I'm serious Seth. Explain: lonely!"

"Crap, I thought misdirection after you said not do it would work. Well played, Logan."

I waited.

"Ugh, I dunno. I'm lonely okay." Seth reiterated.

"Okay and… whiny…"

"Okay, don't laugh but…

"Being away from La Push has given me a lot of time to think. It was always go-go-go there. Dealing with my family, the tribe, you and your family took a lot out of my day. And it's not like I can go without sleep. We all know that isn't possible.

But yeah, since we got here, I've been thinking a lot about my future. I couldn't really do anything about it the last couple weeks because we've been working on the house the whole time. So like La Push, the house was another big distraction. But now that it's done, I'm alone with my thoughts. It's depressing."

I got it. Seth hasn't imprinted. He hasn't dated in the years that I've known him. It hasn't even been brought up. I had been too busy with Emmett and Seth had been too busy with his life. I felt guilty for having my cake and eating it too. I gave him a pained face.

"It's more than that though. I want to get married, I want to have kids, I want the whole thing. But I also want my Mom there. She's getting older and I'm not. What if it takes me a hundred years to find _the one_?"

"Then it'll take one hundred years," I concluded. Seth deflated at my comment. "It's a gift, you know. Some people never meet their other half. For all intents and purposes, you're immortal so that you can find that special someone. That's a gift.

"And I know your Mom wants you to get married and have all those things that made her happy. But I also think that your Mom wants you to be happy in the here and now too. Being mopey and sad about something you can't change would make her cry.

"I think you assume incorrectly that just because she won't be _here_ someday that she won't get to see you happy. She'll be watching from Heaven and she'll be there on your wedding day. You just have to have a little faith." I let the sound of waves crashing over the rocks overtake us for a minute. I hoped Seth was pondering over my words.

"You're right," Seth said quietly.

I knew I was right. "But all my sage wisdom doesn't really help the here and now. You still feel like crap. So we are going to be more proactive about it." I got my phone out of my back pocket and texted those who would be in on my plan.

"Proactive?" Seth asked hesitantly.

"We aren't going to meet your future misses or mister wedded wife or husband sitting on the beach in _freakin'_ Maine. We're going to the city tonight."

Seth's face was incredulous. "The city? Like Bar Harbor? We're not going to find my imprint there. And wait… MISTER! Logan, I'm not gay!"

My phone beeped. It was the text I needed, I sent a few more texts and then looked up to Seth, who was exasperated. I smiled wickedly. "Yeah, neither was Emmett."

Seth was about to object, but I put my hand up to stop him. "I know. Mystery of love, I agree."

"What?!" Seth yelled as I walked away from him.

"Go dry off and pick something nice to wea…" I stopped. "Yeah, never mind. I'll have Alice get it all together." I left Seth on the beach. I knew confusion overtook his sadness, which was sufficient for now.

When I walked into the living room, Alice whipped into my arms for a bone-crushing hug. And even for being a tiny pixie, the possibility of crushing bone wasn't exactly an exaggeration. "So you'll help me out?" I struggled to say.

"Yes! But we need to go now! I already called Emmett; he's on his way home now. I tried to convince Bella to come, but she said that there was some shopping she wanted to do in Bangor. What a liar, but hey, what can a girl do?" Alice flew from my arms and into Seth's room. A moment later she threw his suitcases down the stairs, empty of course. It was all a part of my plan.

Seth meandered into the house and gaped at the sight of Alice running between her room, his room, and the garage. Before Seth could mouth a word, I shushed him. He stomped his foot and crossed his arms.

"Trust me?" I asked.

"Logan, I hate when you do that! You get really pissed when someone doesn't say 'yes' and I know what saying 'yes' means—it means I have to do whatever you say!"

I rationalized. "I only say it when I know I'm right. This will be good for you. … Trust me?"

"UGH, FINE!" Seth was whining more than acquiescing, but he would go along with what I had planned, _hopefully with only minimal complaining_.

Alice yelled across the house, "Let's go!" I heard Esme's Escalade switch into gear. Alice was ready to go therefore we had to be as well.

"Let me get my jacket," Seth said.

"Nope, we go now," I instructed. Seth rolled his eyes. He was obviously regretting his decision to go along with my plan.

About twenty minutes up the road, Seth opened his mouth for the first time since we left. "Logan, when you say 'the city,' did you mean New York City?"

"How did you guess?" I asked from the backseat.

As Alice maneuvered the Escalade into the family's private hanger, Seth said, "Oh, I don't know, the fact that we are here, and Jasper and Emmett are standing in their uniforms in front of the jet."

"You're quite the observant one," Alice observed sarcastically.

Before I could open my door, Emmett was opening it for me. "Let me get that for you, sir," he said sounding so official.

I held his hand as I got out. He pulled me close to him and darted his tongue into my mouth. The deep, passionate kiss wasn't lost on Seth and I playfully put my knee into Emmett's groin. I pushed him away to his dissatisfaction. "Captain Cullen," I warned. "I'm Seth Cullen's wingman for the next twenty-four hours from which I cannot be distracted.

"Wingman?" Seth questioned.

Jasper yelled from behind the jet. He was doing the pre-flights checks. "Hey! I thought I was Captain Cullen! I won the coin toss!"

Emmett gave me a pouty look.

"Oh please," I pushed Emmett to the side. I swung on my heel and said, "You've been itching to pilot this bad boy since we got here. This is a perfect trade off. A bad boy for your bad boy." I pointed towards myself, then to the plane.

Alice took me to the side and whispered what visions she had seen concerning my plans for the night. After all this time, she could still not see Seth, Jake, or Ness directly. They were black holes in her visions. But she had told me awhile back that she is able to see around the holes at the rest of the family. Our mannerisms towards the holes gave away who the hole was. It was as good as it got for Alice at this point.

"Yeah and your mannerisms are going to be very _good_ tonight," Alice finished. "Comical, really."

I nodded. I turned to see Seth leaning against the hood of the Escalade. "SETH! Let's go! Your imprint awaits."

Seth growled. "I don't like this idea. Who knows who I'll meet!?"

I laughed hysterically. "Alice sorta does…"

"Huh?" That got Seth's attention. In a wolf-second, he was at Alice's side trying to get her to dish. She refused. Even throughout our flight to the Big Apple, Seth tried his very best to get even an inkling of what Alice had seen. I laughed hard when Seth offered to be Alice's shopping lackey for a month. Alice considered it for a moment, but shook her head and lifted a magazine to her head. She didn't want to ruin the visions by fortune telling. Good woman!

The closer we got to New York, the faster Seth's heartbeat became. Thankfully, any human we met tonight wouldn't be able to hear that lightening fast beat or my lack of one either.

Over the speaker, Emmett… I mean Captain Cullen… announced that we would be landing shortly.

"Are you ready for a good night?" I asked Seth. "Regardless—it's just going to be me and you—so be yourself! And I won't be offended if you meet someone and ditch me. In fact, that is my personal mission. Get ready to meet NYC, Seth, because like it or not, NYC is going to know you tonight!"

Alice squealed in delight. "He's mine though for the first three hours!"

I nodded in agreement.

Seth, whose face was one part confused, one part pissed, and one part terrified, asked why.

"We have to get you the perfect outfit for tonight. I know where you are going to end up so, well… that outfit won't do." Alice pointed out Seth's attire as if it was last decade's Fashion Week failures.

I stared Seth down to which he responded, "WHAT!?"

"Yeah, Alice, make sure you get stuff that is one size smaller in the right areas. We need to accentuate his… features."

Seth's eyes exploded. "Excuse me?"

Alice winked. "Don't worry, Logan, I'm all over this!"

"Can you pick me up something fierce too?" I knew the answer before I even asked it, but Alice nodded. Her eyes glossed over in another vision. She was _deciding_ on choices for outfits.

"Got it!" Alice screamed as the jet's landing gear met the landing strip. "I'm shocked and surprised. Seth! We're going to H&M while the boys check into the Ritz-Carlton."

"Alice, will you take the full three hours or not?" I let my own brand of visions take over my imagination. I could do a lot in three hours—with Captain Cullen.

Alice had the same vision and said, "No problem, Logan. We'll be in the room at 9:16 exactly. Be decent by then."

"Fair enough," I nodded. I looked out the window to see we were being directed toward the private hangars at JFK.

I called the phone number on the back of my American Express Centurion Card, aptly named, "_the_ Black Card." Within five minutes, I had a penthouse suite overlooking Central Park reserved at the Ritz-Carlton, two limousines to pick us up at the hanger, and Seth's and my name on VIP lists at three of the newest and hippest clubs in the city tonight.

"It's magical," Alice opined about the card.

Emmett and Jasper powered down the jet and we were taxied into the hanger. Alice grabbed at Seth's hand who promptly pulled it away from her. The difference in skin temperature would've been the old excuse, but Alice being Alice was the excuse here.

"Stop being a baby," Alice said. She pushed the jet door open and the hangar crew brought over a mobile stairway so we could de-plane.

Seth growled, likely to himself for agreeing to this day.

As he turned his back to me, I said, "Makes you miss the good old days. Werewolves versus vampires and that bit. Am I wrong?"

Seth glared at me. "I still am not quite sure what is happening tonight."

"Trust me," I said, again.

Seth nodded.

Emmett's burgeoning self lumbered down the stairway with more grace than what would be expected by his size. He got in close to my ear and whispered, "Jasper is going to take care of payment for the hanger and then he's going to make himself scarce until 9:15 tonight. It's six now… Would you care to join me at the Ritz-Carlton for a drink?"

Emmett's sweet scent washed over me. My body responded like a flick of a switch and I promptly agreed.

The magic of the black card knew no bounds. Within twenty-minutes, two shiny luxury limousines arrived at the hanger. Seth and Alice hopped in one and Emmett and I got in the other. Jasper was still with the ground crew, but would find alternative transportation once the sun went down completely; alternative transport that would be faster than even a jet that is.

Emmett put up the privacy screen between the chauffeur and where I was snuggled up to his side. "Man, piloting the Beast was awesome!"

I snickered. "The Beast? Emmett, that sounds pretty crass for something as elegant and beautiful as the fifty million dollar jet we just left."

"Exactly! It's everything and more—the Beast." Emmett clapped his hands shut as if ending all debate on the matter.

"Well, I got my beast with me right now and all to myself for the next two hours. What shall we do? You offered to buy me a drink—well, I hope that drink is prepared in my suite. Those hotel bars can be so dank and depressing…" I repositioned myself so I could better observe Emmett in his _tight_ uniform. And when I said _tight_, I meant _tight_ in all the right places. I shifted my hand out of his and slid it ever so slowly across Emmett's thigh. I found his hardened length. It was straining down his left pant leg.

"Yes…" Emmett's eyes rolled back in his head. He swallowed hard. "We definitely should get that drink in the suite. Bars these days are full of riff raff."

"Yes, well…" I muttered as I stroked Emmett's entire length with my ability.

Emmett gasped for air, as if he needed it. "Stop it or I'm going to fuck you right here right now."

That sounded like a challenge. Let's see how far Emmett's control could take him, or us I mean. I straddled him and rubbed my belt buckle into his cock. He let loose a low growl to which I responded with cupping his balls.

Emmett bit his lip and wrapped his hands around me. He held me hard against him while I kissed his soft lips. My tongue was allowed entrance. The combination of that extravagant ecstasy and the pressure I was exuding on Emmett down under would undo him the farther we travelled up Fifth Avenue. We were getting pretty close to the hotel now. I needed to get him to the precipice. I licked across his throat. Grinding my hips into his, I was surprised that I didn't tear anything. His uniform was tight as all Hell. With a few more strokes of my mind, Emmett let out a loud, strangled moan. Emmett was thankfully getting close.

I bit his ear. Every muscle in his body tensed under me. Did he come? I waited a second, but I noticed no scent of his release. He didn't come. Good for him. I flicked my tongue across his ear. Still nothing. A light bulb popped on in my head and I knew what I had to do. I whispered into Emmett's ear, "You have no idea how hot you get me—the thought of you against my rock hard body, the fullness you give me when you fuck me, and watching you come undone quite literally throws me over the edge. Come with me. I want it so bad." I lifted my head from his ear and my eyes fell upon his nightshade eyes. I kissed his neck and licked across his Adam's apple to his chin and then onto his lips. With a subtle whine, I pretended to start coming. I let my body shudder in pretend ecstasy.

Emmett cried out some choice expletives while his body shuddered for three minutes. I rubbed his crotch more, both physically and mentally, which earned me some more growls of pleasure. He held onto me for dear life while he took gasp upon gasps of air to recover.

"Was it as good for you as if was for me?" I asked refusing to let the sarcasm leak out in my voice.

Emmett gulped hard and nodded.

"Good," I said with a kiss on his nose. The limo came to a halt and for the first time I looked out the window. It was a sight to behold. On one side was Central Park in its late summer glory. On the other side was the megacity that was central New York. Our chauffeur came around to the curbside door and opened it for us.

"Sir," he greeted as I jumped out. His eyes were all-knowing of what had just occurred, but with the three hundred dollar tip I gave him, I knew I could count on his discretion. One nod from me was all that was needed to consecrate that contract.

Emmett got out of the limo a moment later looking all disheveled. His uniform was wrinkled and I was sure his pants were uncomfortable. He quickly straightened his tie and gave our chauffeur _another_ tip. I shook my head, but said nothing.

"Have a good stay, sirs." Our chauffeur nodded and handed his business card to the Emmett. "I'll be yours for the duration of your stay. Please call me when you need to go out."

It was a magical sight, walking into the Central Park Ritz-Carlton with the man of my dreams in my hand. I walked up to the front desk to check in. It took one flash of the black magic card and I had an old fashioned metal key in my hand. We took a private elevator to our penthouse suite. The magic continued from there. The suite had four bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a full service kitchen _with kitchen staff_, an office, a formal dining room, and formal and informal living rooms. The terrace overlooking Central Park was the best part. It could easily fit twenty people with room for a barbeque grill. I'm sure a grill could be wheeled in with but one phone call.

"I guess that is what we get for twenty grand a night," Emmett observed.

"Meh, Seth is worth the twenty grand," I said succinctly. "And having you here is an excellent bonus, if might add." I grabbed Emmett's hand and pulled him along. "Let's find _our room_. Seth gets the master suite, but I'm sure the others rooms are just as awesome." With little time, we found our room. I spun around and saw Emmett sitting on the edge of the bed, his face was all contorted. Was he coming again? I laughed. He didn't join me.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Emmett looked down. "Did you lie to me, in the limo?"

"Lie to you? About what?"

"Did you," Emmett cleared his throat. "You know… come… with me?"

Is that what his anguish about? Me faking it? "I guess I did lie. I did it to get you off. I would've hated to have left you at half mast when the limo parked. I needed to get you off."

He bit his lip. "I don't like using you like that."

"Oh geez," I whispered sympathetically. I walked over to Emmett and knelt in front of him. "Emmett, I give you permission to use me. Nothing gives me more happiness and joy than to watch you be happy and joyous—and a sexual happy is just as good in my book too."

"I don't want to disrespect you."

"Emmett," I said firmly. I sat next to him on the bed and pulled him towards me. "You don't disrepect me. I was giving you pleasure. I _intended_ it to be one-sided. My intention, my choice… In fact, I was respecting your manhood. And boy did it get me hot so really, I wasn't lying." I bit Emmett on the neck. I broke the skin and broke him out of his self-deprecation. "Brooding is for people like Edward. Jubilance is more your style," I whispered as I licked the half moon cut closed. When he didn't answer I pulled away from his face so I could see what his problem was. There was no problem… His onyx eyes told me that much. The only problem was in his pants, which promptly became my problem… in my pants as well. I growled lowly as Emmett picked me up by the waist and threw me down on the bed. Five seconds later, his clothes and mine for that matter were shredded.

_Damn_, I thought. _That uniform was sexy!_

Two hot hours later, the clock on the nightstand said 9:12. Shit! I hopped out of bed and moved towards the bathroom for a quick shower. I didn't make it far because Emmett decided he was going to try and coax me back. His bedroom eyes were something to behold. "Come on," he said seductively. "One more romp."

I responded with laughter. "I love that word. 'Romp.' It's versatile."

"You're versatile," Emmett concluded.

"I could say the same thing about you, but now you need to let me shower. I smell like sex. And no! You can't shower with me." My shower was hot, brisk, and refreshing. Throwing on my remaining clothing option—a bathrobe—I walked past Emmett who was lazing in bed in his naked glory. I opened the door to the hallway, but stopped myself to do a double take. I slowly turned around to see that not only was Emmett laying in his naked glory, his cock was towering above him. Venom pooled in my mouth all of a sudden. Emmett knew exactly what he was doing.

I was going to close the door, with me on the Emmett side of course, but Alice yelled across the penthouse. "Don't even think about it, Logan! You have things to do and it doesn't include your mate!" The door to the penthouse opened and Seth's booming laughter poured in. Bastard.

Emmett turned over so that his glorious gluteus maximus peaked into the air. "Foiled again," he whispered.

"Life is hard," I said sarcastically as I closed the door. I was on the non-Emmett side. "FML," I whispered. I met Alice and Seth in the hallway with Jasper on their tail. He dropped a half dozen bags with the H&M logo on them with a sizable look of annoyance plastered across his face.

"Thank me that I know everyone's sizes!" Alice said and whirled through the bags pulling out belts, boots, and briefs. She threw the briefs at me. "Am I good sister or what?"

"She saw the shredding," Seth said. "She gagged in the store."

"Go shower!" I exclaimed. "You smell like a dog. Your room is straight down the hallway. Get a move on." Shortly after he departed, I heard Seth gasp.

Alice bumped my side. "You gave him the master suite, didn't you?"

"You ask that like it was a true question," I replied.

Alice look frustrated. "I was _hoping_ you would have given it to us. We need a vacation too!"

"If your room is anything like ours, Alice, you won't be dissatisfied," I threw out.

"I know," Alice said succinctly. And she did know.

As Alice busted into Seth's room to lay out his evening wares, I called down to the front desk and requested the hotel's finest meal—for five. Seth could put that amount down easily. I walked over to the bar and began to whip up a pitcher 'o booze. Seth and I have tested, at length, the amount of alcohol required to get a shapeshifter any where near intoxication. As one would expect, it took a whole lot of half gallons and forties to get the proper mix. Over the years, I discovered that a Long Island Iced Tea does the best job of not only getting a shit ton of alcohol into a Seth's system, but also it was the least conspicuous. We didn't want people questioning why Seth was literally drinking a half-gallon of vodka as if it were merely water. Always got to put on the human facade.

The kitchen staff delivered "our" food on three huge carts. I tipped them handsomely and requested that they have enough drunk food to feed five prepared to be sent up to the room for 4:30 AM, one-half hour after last call. Perfect. Not long after the food was delivered, Seth flew out his room freshly showered and shaved. He was looking fine for a perpetually muscled piece of man meat, but I wasn't about to stroke his ego. Seth demolished the smorgasbord in fifteen minutes flat. He was about to put on his fresh clothes, but I stopped him with the pitcher 'o booze.

"Chug this, then put on your clothes," I instructed.

"You're lucky I like your concoctions," Seth said as he greedily gulped down the liquid. I was thankful that alcoholism wasn't an issue in his family. We didn't want a drunken wolf peeing on the carpet, did we?

I walked back to room to get ready myself. Emmett was still in bed, still naked, and still too tempting! Ignoring Emmett's hot self, I dropped Alice's H&M bag on the dresser to see what goodies she got me. No sooner did I rip open the bag did Seth yell bloody murder from his room.

I ran over at light speed. "What's the matter?" I exclaimed.

"This doesn't fit!" Seth roared. He was a sight to see.

Jasper, Alice, and Emmett—in a towel—flew into the room as well.

"Dude, Seth, you're hot!" Emmett said. I would be jealous at that comment, but…

"Go put some clothes on," Seth responded. "You're making me uncomfortable." I turned Emmett around and slapped his ass for good measure as he left the room.

Alice giggled. "Am I a miracle worker or what?"

I had to agree. When I said we needed to accentuate all of Seth's features, well… they were well accentuated. He wore a jet-black v-neck shirt that matched his jet-black hair. The v of the neck stopped just inside the indentation of his collarbone. The shirt held to his biceps, chest, and abs tightly. The shirt stopped at his waist perfectly so that his expensive black leather belt was displayed properly. If Seth raised his arms even an inch above his shoulder, his shirt would conveniently show off a thick v-cut and an ab or two. Sometimes one had to blast the girls (or boys) with whatcha got. The skinny jeans hugged his hips and legs, and stopped at his black leather boots, the only piece that Seth already owned and was allowed to wear. The whole ensemble made Seth into a hot mystery man. We're talking tall, dark, handsome, and hot… Yes! Yeah, I know I'm taken and/or spoken for, but a vampire can look, right?

I leaned against the door. "Good job, Alice! This is going to be good."

"IT IS TOO TIGHT!" Seth complained loudly.

"What a whiner," Jasper laughed.

"Oh, honey," Alice said. "The shirt and jeans have spandex material, just pull them a little and get the ruffles out!"

"WAIT!" I yelled. I approached Seth and did this job _for him_. "He'll rip the master piece," I cautioned.

"Better not," Alice replied curtly. "We didn't get any replacements!"

I rolled my eyes and left Seth to complain in solitude. I dug out my own ensemble. Tonight, Alice assigned me a blue polo, silver skinny jeans, and Sperry's. Was I going to the club on a sailboat?

"Babe," Emmett whispered behind me. He wrapped his strong hands around my torso and ground his erection into the small of my back. After he nuzzled his nose in my hair, he said, "I can't wait for you to come home. I'm going to miss you." He sniffed my hair, taking in my scent to hold onto.

"Love you," I whispered.

"I know," he replied. I guess I was Han Solo and he Leia.

I sauntered down to Seth's room. It was time to go. He was lying upon his bed as if he were about to curl up and fall asleep. "Time to go, Sleeping Beauty."

"Where are we going exactly?" he asked.

"You'll find out. Let's go, the night is young. I'm young. You're young. I guarantee a good time."

Seth hopped off his bed and followed me out the door. In our personal elevator, he quipped, "You aren't young."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you are not," he spat with smile. "Old man."


	6. Ch 6: Wingman

Author's Note: I wasn't happy with the progression of the story so I pushed (old) Ch. 5 "First Day of School, Again" back two chapters. In its place, I inserted new Ch. 5 and 6-a fun mini-trip for Seth, Logan, and family. As you'll see in the long run, it'll better illustrate the difficulties Seth faces and how his best friend, Logan, seeks to help.

If you already read (old) Ch. 5 "First Day of School, Again," no worries. (New) Ch. 5 and 6 occur the weekend before (old) Ch. 5 so the timeline isn't ruined and there aren't spoilers, just drama, drunk messes, and sexual escapades.

As always, comments are appreciated. Perhaps some suggestions on where, when, and with whom Seth should shack up with? This isn't to say that it's even going to happen in _Life Resolute_, but even I don't know the answer to that.

…

"_No, you are not," Seth spat with smile. "Old man."_

I smiled evilly. "Both beauty and youth are in the eye of the beholder, little puppy, and the beholders are nothing more than human." Like clockwork, the doors of the elevator spewed open. Humans—hotel guests and employees alike—scurried about on their mundane tasks. I knew it was terrible to feel superior over them. That was the Volturi perspective, but honestly, sometimes a vampire's gotta feel good. It worked too. As we made our way to the limo, which Alice had the foresight to call for, I peered behind Seth and me. We were getting attention something fierce. Seth was enjoying the attention too. A group of twenty-somethin's gawked at him. He waved stupidly.

I grabbed Seth by the shoulder and pulled him along. "Get a move on!"

One of the ladies screamed, "Oh come on, handsome, who's your manfriend?"

Seth smiled and I knew some joke was going to cross his lips at my expense.

I cut him off. "Sorry ladies, I'm married!" I yelled.

"Bullshit," Seth whispered. Yeah, I knew it was bullshit, but that was the best way to get Seth out the door and prevent him from humping those girls like the dog I knew he to be.

As the limo made its way to our first club, I emptied the entire contents of mini bar into one large cup. Seth's unhappiness was clear from his face when it sucked the mixture down. "What did you expect?" I asked rhetorically. "Nothing EVER good comes out of mixing vodka, tequila, rum, and gin…"

"A long island," Seth barked.

"I couldn't find any Coke to add," I replied sheepishly.

Seth didn't complain further and finished downing the concoction. It was beginning to have its effect on him. His face became flushed and he sweated just a little bit. His odor… excuse me… scent became more pungent. _The humans would absolutely love that_, I thought.

"Now the key is to maintain your drunken self, not to overdue it, okay?" I suggested.

Seth hiccupped. "I dunno whatcha talking abouzzz?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Just kidding, bra." Seth hiccupped the last syllable.

"That better have been planned or your not taking anyone home tonight."

"I was kidding. I was kidding," Seth attempted to placate. I wasn't buying it. "Besides, you aren't my mother!"

The limo stopped with a lurch at a club that could be nothing less than swanky. The bouncer opened the limo door for us and lifted the velvet rope too. Before I entered I peered down the line of club goers waiting to get in. It was around the corner. My super duper ability-enhanced eyes told me it went for entire city block passed the corner.

"Wow!" Seth yelled, calling my attention back to the here and now. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Buzzkill."

"What?"

"Yeah, the brochure said it was so hip that it had to advertise that it wasn't. Being uncool is the cool thing to be, apparently." I guess it made sense. The club alternate the colors white and black, nothing else. The most colorful thing in the room was me, and that was because I was wearing a blue shirt. Seth fit in better. All the club goers were different combinations of black and white. It was the "cool thing" to do after all!

Seth's intoxication was wearing off… again so our first pit stop was the bar. Seth and I each took a stool and I flung a credit card at the barman. and requested six long islands. "Six double long islands, please."

"Hey, boy," a girl said as she plopped down my thigh. Her scent washed over me and I had a flash of desire towards her. Bloodlust, actually. My throat felt raw and unquenched, but I quickly threw those urges to the side.

With a subtle nod, I replied, "Hey." It was all that was required to get her juices flowing, literally. Human females were unwaveringly predictable. "Have you met my pal, _Sam_?"

Seth gave me quick look of confusion, but it was quickly replaced with understanding. Traveling Names. He would be Sam, and I would be…

"Yeah, this is Luke," Sam introduced me.

The girl screamed in excitement. "I'm Maia! Where are the shots?"

Sam, who was obviously interested in Maia, ordered three very large shots from the top shelf. We cheered to one another and _they_ took them. I replaced Sam's shot with my own in a blink of an eye. He took it like a champ and Maia was none the wiser.

"So Sam," Maia perked her boobs up. "Seeing anyone?"

The boobs caught Sam's eye easily enough and he shook his head stupidly.

I rolled my eyes.

"You hear with anyone?" I asked.

"Oh my god!" she screamed. It was rather annoying. "Let's go see my girlfriends! They're VIP!"

VIP right.

One by one we met Maia's girlfriends—Taya, Rhea, and Shaya. I asked if those names were preplanned, but they showed me their ID's. Yep, they were really Taya, Rhea, and Shaya. Sam was having a good time. He made out with Maia and Shaya together, twice within the first half hour. I was invited into _that_ fun, but it really wasn't my style. I had Emmett's ring on my finger after all. I'd probably drain the humans dry anyways and the thought of kissing Seth made throw up a little in my mouth.

"Let's go dance!" Shaya grabbed my hand and as she dragged me onto the dance floor I directed the waiter to bring a dozen shots to Sam. "You're so generous!" Shaya exclaimed.

"Yep, not for you or your friends, you drunk ho," I murmured.

Shaya peered back at me. "What?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

Shaya and I moved onto the periphery of the dance floor. It was packed and the DJ spun the right rhythms for everyone. I separated the humans with my ability and many of them thought the others were pushing. Fortunately, they were all hammered so nothing else but a few expletives were thrown. I moseyed Shaya and I into the middle. She was a remarkable dancer given her human limitations so I let her grind up on me.

The song switched over, and Sam and the rest of the girls joined us on the floor. Sam was plastered now but even so, he danced like a champ. Everyone expected a typical man—unable to dance—but Seth, I mean Sam, was an atypical man and could dance the night away. He started to make out with Taya this time so I focused my fun on Maia and Shaya.

Maia pulled herself close to me and whispered, "So what's Sam's story? He's hot!"

"He's on the market for a girlfriend," I replied smoothly. "You quality material?"

"Boy, have you seen my girl, Maia?!" Taya exclaimed with a snap of her fingers.

"Girl!" I replied, letting my gay come out in full force.

Maia and Taya stopped dancing. "Your gay?" they exclaimed together.

Sam stopped too. "Really?"

I had to agree with Sam on that one. It's pretty obvious, or at least that is what I thought.

I nodded to the girls.

"Fuck," Maia said under her breath.

"I'm sorry sweet thang, I'm off the market." I gave her a hug. "I'm an excellent wingman though."

Sam was making out with Taya again, but gave a thumbs up. Taya's thumb went to his zipper.

Ew. "Yeah, you two point out some men and I'll be your wingman. Good?" I needed to get away from Sam's predicament. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Maia and Shaya perused the available pool of men and found two near a pool table. I approached the men with two beers in my hand. The best way to a straight man's heart is through alcohol or women, or both.

"Dude! Thanks!" one of them yelled. Yes, human males were also unwaveringly predictable.

"Where'd they come?" the other slurred.

"Those two fine ladies over there," I pointed back to Maia and Shaya. "They've been checking you out all night." Okay, it was a lie, but stoking a man's ego is critical and rewarding.

"You sure, man?" the first asked me. "I don't want to steal your thunder."

Emmett was my thunder. "Nope, I'm good. They're all about you two boys. Treat them right though. I will kill you if you don't."

"Right on!" the second one gave me a high five. Did he not hear that last part? Regardless, it still applied.

I came back onto the dance floor to find Sam and Taya slow dancing. He was enjoying her ass too much for my liking. I slapped his shoulder. "Time to go, lover boy. We got other bars to hit up."

Taya gave Sam a pouty face.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded.

Taya whispered into Seth's ear and slipped a piece of paper into his jeans pocket. She lingered there for a moment too long.

"YEP, WE GOTS TO GO!" I announced abruptly and practically lifted my lusty puppy best friend up and threw him out the club. Our chauffeur came pulled up to the curb and once we were safely inside, Seth gave me an shit eating grin.

"She gave you her number, didn't she?" I asked.

His grin persisted. "That's not the only thing she gave me!"

"Yeah, coping a feel isn't quite something to brag about. It's kind of small in my opinion," I suggested.

"_It_ isn't small at all and you know that!"

"Double ew," I announced. "I know that you know that I know of your sizing, but please, please, please don't remind me that you know that I know or that I know at all. How drunk are you anyways?"

Seth ran a hand through his hair. "It's wearing off. How much have I had to drink?"

"Enough to kill those three girls twice over," I observed.

"Damn," Seth replied. "Where we going next? This is fun!"

"You are turning into a man-whore!"

Seth shook his head and slid down the seat lengthwise. It was designed to fit a half dozen people and his feet almost reached to the chauffeur's cabin. "Nah," he whispered. "Just learning how to put my good looks to good use."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Don't get too cocky!"

"Have you seen abs like these?" He pulled his shirt up and began pattering upon his abs like they were bongo drums.

Now he was just being a dick, but it worked. I didn't have to wingman much at the next club we went to—_Midnight Rendezvous_. The theme was a kickback to the roaring twenties, Prohibition, and all things illegal or illicit. The girls flocked to us, but I redirected them to Seth. Mostly, I was just his personal bartender. The real bartender didn't think anything of it either. I'd just point back to the entourage that formed around Seth and request doubles… of everything.

At one point I lost Seth. He needed a human moment, he had said. That moment turned into a half hour and I was about to slink into the bathroom to find him when he plopped into his leather beanbag chair with a very sloshed blonde vixen named Stacy on his lap. Apparently, he met Stacy in the bathroom—the men's bathroom. This had gay club written all over it, and Stacy was probably a man.

Good stories, which were at Seth's expense, accumulated like wildfire. He forgot to blow the flame out on a fire shot and nearly set his face on fire. Thank you, Logan, for your quick wittedness and ability to control chemical reactions. Later Seth was found letting Stacy and this other chick, Vicki, do body shots off his belly button. The girls were so drunk that they "spilled" the shots all over Seth. Who could fuck up a body shot? It was in his belly button! Seth was a sticky and now, very drunk, mess. He needed a break, and so did I.

"You don know ma life!" Seth blurted out as we stepped out onto the sidewalk. He had Stacy and Vicki glued to his frame.

"You're so hot!" Vicki giggled.

Stacy meanwhile was overly fascinated with Seth's jeans pocket. No doubt she was feeling up his erection like Taya had done only hours before. Yep, she was. Even I could see his erection straining down his pant leg.

I had sent our chauffeur to pick us, meaning Seth and me, some take out Chinese. I needed to sober him up fast. That was an hour ago too. I hit redial on my phone. This dude was going to get a real ass chewing. On the third ring, the Lincoln Extended Edition whipped around the corner.

"Babe, you have no idea how hot I am," Seth boasted. "I'm a wolf after all. I'm a wolf!"

Vicki uttered something about letting him mount her, doggy style and her _scent_ wafted into my nostrils. Her… _feminine_ scent.

I gulped down hard, disgust flavoring my venom unequivocally. FUCKING, EW. Nope, we're done. Seth's not going to lose his virginity, yes, I know he's a virgin, to a nasty ass tramp named, "Vicki."

"No, you don't get it," Seth pointed at his chest. "I'm a wolf! And he's…" Seth was pointing at me now.

Snapping my fingers (yes, like a diva), Stacy's six-inch stiletto heel blew out. She flew to the ground with an unceremonious clunk. As she tried to pull herself up, her mini skirt hiked up far farther then I'd ever like to venture.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, at least we know she's not a dude," I pointed out casually.

Vicki detached herself from Seth to help Stacy. She failed miserably, the five or so Cosmopolitans that Seth ordered for her had clearly kicked in. The club's bouncer came out to see what all the commotion was about. I threw a fat Benjamin at the man, instructed him to call the ladies a cab, and warned him I would know if he just pocketed the cash. My vampire nature, unbeknownst to the bouncer's conscious, told him enough to heed my instructions, I knew that much. Suddenly, I realized that a pattern was beginning to develop. Drunk Seth. Dirty Seth. Intervening Logan. Would Seth want to lose his virginity? I pondered that question for a hot second. Meanwhile, Seth was trying to be a gentleman, a drunken gentleman, and lift Stacy from the cold street. He about fell on her and would've likely crushed her if he had.

"Yep, we're so done!" I announced coming to the conclusion that Seth wasn't going and didn't want to have sex with a tramp again named, "Vicki." I whipped the limo door open, flung Seth into it, hopped in myself, and closed the door.

"Wait!" Stacy yelled and Vicki made a mad dash for the door.

"Drive!" I growled.

The chauffeur, who had clearly been aware of our sidewalk sideshow, hit the gas with a redeeming vengeance. All I heard was the eerie screech of sweaty human hand on the doorframe and Vicki yell, "BITCHES!"

"Skank," Seth giggled from the floor.

I crawled over Seth's stanky self and tapped on the privacy screen. The chauffeur lowered the screen and handed me two large paper bags and two sporks.

"Best Szechuan this side of Manhattan!" he said with a thick Middle Eastern accent. "Trust me!"

I requested that we go to the next club to which our chauffeur nodded and closed the privacy screen. It was getting late, 3 AM. Last call was at four, but the clubs were allowed to stay open pass then, just not serve alcohol. Seth demolished his Peking duck, Mongolian beef, and "my" General Tso's chicken and pork fried rice—in twenty minutes flat. How he didn't burn his mouth, I didn't know.

After guzzling a liter of water, Seth sat up on the bench seat like a big boy.

"Better?" I asked.

Seth nursed his head. "What happened? Why am I so sticky?"

He really didn't remember? I pulled the sweat and sticky alcohol from Seth's outfit with my mind. It looked like a lint ball when it was completely formed. Seth, meanwhile, looked squeaky clean.

"I mean, the last thing I remember was those shots of Maker's Mark," Seth muttered. He gagged a little.

"Thought of alcohol got you sick?" I asked with a smirk. "I'm sure you'll remember the 'other' things in spurts tomorrow. Trust me. They're good."

He nodded and swallowed hard.

_Please don't puke_, I thought. "Do you want to go to the last club? You have been a champ about this, I'll give you that."

Seth bounced his head, mulling it over. "Yeah, let's go to the last one. Might as well commit to the whole experience, right?"

I pursed my lips. "You sound like me more and more every day. It's spooky."

"It's more annoying for me," Seth assured. That was my Seth! Snarky and sarcastic! As he had already emptied the mini-bar, I directed the chauffeur to make a detour to a liquor store to get the essentials. The chauffeur questioned under his breath about where we were putting everything—booze for ten, food for five. Hopefully, he just chopped it up to virile, young men who were thirsty for booze, food, and women, or men in my case.

The last club of the night, _La Llama__, __was lighted by only firelight. Grand hues of orange, yellow, and blue blanketed the walls, couches, and the bar in a warm glow. The dance floor itself was a gigantic screen and made it appear as if the dancers were walking on fire. _

_"__No fire shots!" I yelled to Seth. _

_He shook his head and let loose a hearty laugh. He didn't need anything more to drink._

_"__Hey, good looking," said a voice behind us. Seth's eyes bugged out when they came upon the sex pistol that had spoken. She was tall, her skin dark, and her short black dress matched her long black hair. Perhaps she was Native American like Seth? _

_As Seth tried to compose himself, I introduced us. _

_"__So where are you from, Seth?" the woman, who we now knew was Andie, asked._

_He began to stammer and I stomped on his foot. Pain would hopefully stop him from drooling on his shirt!_

_"__We're from L.A.," I answered. "Just in town for the night, I'm afraid."_

_Andie smiled at us funny. "You two aren't… you know…"_

_It took even me a second to get what she was getting at._

_"__No, no, no!" Seth babbled._

_"__I'm married," I said. "I mean, not to him!"_

_"__No he's not," Seth was quick to point out. "Where's the ring—not on the left hand!" _

_I shot him a dirty look. _

_"__Well, as long as you two aren't together and you are straight…" Andie threw her hand around Seth's neck and massaged it. "We'll be fine."_

_"__How about I get us some drinks?" Seth offered. I shuddered._

Andie nodded and grabbed Seth's hand. As she pulled him through the crowd, he waved to me. Did he tell me to get lost? He did know where we were staying. And it wasn't like _I needed_ the limo to get back.

I shook my head, but instead of leaving right away I slipped onto the dance floor for one dance. The DJ was pretty good so I let the music flow through me. I didn't need someone or a group to dance with, I was that confident of myself. Besides, I could rip out a naysayer's throat before he uttered a single syllable. Wouldn't have any regrets about it either. Vampires are immensely good at compartmentalizing.

I had my fill of fun at about half way through the third song. The dance floor didn't seem to be thinning at all despite the fact last call was announced ten minutes ago. Most of the humans around me were pretty sloppy too—drinks spilling, vomit crusting on designer shoes, and I smelled urine from a particularly handsome dude who decided to grind on me a bit. With a gentle shove, I avoided that nasty mess. I could see Seth and Andie making out on a couch, their drinks untouched. "Good boy," I bragged. Andie seemed like fun and Seth was relatively sober, therefore in a better mindset to first, decide if he really like the girl and two, not give away his or my secret. Yeah, he and I were so going to have a conversation of the Stacy, Vicki, and secret sharing incident later!

I smiled to myself. "Mission successful." I pushed through the crowd and was about step off the dance floor when a hand grabbed my wrist. The hand was cold, like me. It was strong, like me. The electrical connection told me instantly who it was.

I swung around and lifted myself into Emmett's arms. He pulled me in for one of his signature bear hugs and his lips shot to my own. His hands drifted up and down my back, kneading the muscle underneath expertly. They didn't linger there long and fell to my ass. He held me tight. I became horny as fuck and ready for some play time.

Taking an unnecessary breath, I asked, "So how was your night?"

"Meh," he said nonchalantly. "Watched the game with Jasper, but then Alice wanted him to take her to Liberty Island. I got bored. Hope I didn't mess up your game."

I have no game when Emmett Cullen was involved. "Dance with me?" He nodded and pulled me back out onto the dance floor. Another group gave Emmett a dirty look when we took over their space. He merely raised his eyebrow to stake his claim on the spot, challenging anyone of them to argue. The sight made venom pool in my mouth. My hardon was getting rather uncomfortable as well. This would have to be a quick dance.

Emmett spun me around so that he was on my backside; he ground his hips into my ass roughly and his hardon was flush across his jeans. In line with the beat, I slid down and up Emmett's legs giving particular attention to rubbing his dick. Coming back up, he licked my left ear and blew his sweet scent across it. I shivered intensely. I was happy the music was up so high because even Seth could've otherwise heard my moan.

"I do love you, Logan," Emmett whispered in my other ear. "Always and forever."

I whipped around and Emmett locked his hands on my hips. I placed mine on his broad chest. Things got very serious very fast. Our eyes found each other and he nodded as if to tell me again. "I do love you, Logan. Always and forever."

I rested my head on his chest. _Thank you, God, for giving me him._

We must've looked strange. The music was loud and fast while Emmett and I were quiet and slow. We weren't really dancing; more like swaying, but only to keep up our humanly appearance. To me, I was still, silent, and steady. Emmett was my unwavering rock and no matter what I thought or said, he'd never leave me. I would never leave him either. So was the power of mating.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I didn't care. Emmett flexed his left pec and then his right. I lifted my head.

"Want to go home with me?" he asked with a wink.

_Way to ruin a sincere moment, Emmett, _I thought. Not really, but that's Emmett for you. I nodded quickly and led Emmett off the dance floor. "Let me check on Seth first."

Andie was macking hard on Seth. She was atop him and her dress was hiked up high. Seeing two vaginas in one night was definitely NOT what I had signed up for! I told Seth that Em was here and I was going. "Will you be okay to get back? I'll leave the limo."

Seth waved his hand at me.

"Yep, he's okay," Emmett taunted. "Look at his… wood-youch!"

I elbowed Emmett in the gut, hard. "Don't finish that!" I advised. "I already know too much about Seth's sex life."

"He has one!?" Emmett exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "Apparently." I grabbed Emmett's hand and led him out of the club. After telling the chauffeur to wait for Seth, Emmett and I walked a few blocks down the street. When there were no witnessing eyes, we ran the thirteen blocks back to the Ritz. Instead of walking through the doors—such would take too long, I needed Emmett now—we hid in the alleyway.

Emmett jumped onto my back. "Hold on tight," I advised.

He rubbed his boots into my groin. "Giddy up, donkey!"

"Can't I be a noble steed?" I whined.

Emmett snapped his fingers. "You. Me. Make. Love. Now. Focus!"

Right! I lifted my head and found the terrace easily enough. I let my mind wander through the matter around me until I latched onto the one force holding it down. Gravity. I bent my knees low to the ground and pushed as hard as I could without cracking the concrete. The web of gravity dissipated easily enough and we flung upwards like a bullet being fired from a shotgun. Any faster and we'd hit the sound barrier. The milliseconds ticked by and as we approached the terrace Alice peered over the ledge. Shutting gravity off was the easy part, surprisingly. Turning it on again was the hard part. I threw my mind out again and grabbed at whatever would slow us down. Slowly, gravity kicked back into gear. It was perfect timing too because we had just reached the terrace ledge. Alice grabbed my hand and easily lifted us over. Emmett and I separated and landed after a somersault.

Jasper started to clap. "Again, again, again! When do we get to saw Emmett in half?"

"Not magic, Jasper. Physics!" I argued.

Emmett swooped me into his arms, bridal style. "Whatever you call it babe, I call it hot." He carried me across the terrace and into our room. He kicked the door shut telling Alice and Jasper that we were not to be disturbed.

"Wish we had those sound proof walls," Alice whispered to Jasper. "Told you we should have stayed at Lady Liberty."

Jasper sighed. "Ew."

Neither Emmett nor I paid any more attention to Alice or Jasper. We were too busy eyeing each other down. My eyes were clouded over with lust, but Emmett's were all love. I grabbed my shirt and was about to shred it.

"Let me do it," he whispered. My breath hitched. He walked behind me and ran the pads of his fingers up my sides and down my shoulders. He grabbed my shirt at the back of my neck and pulled it gently. My arms raised and the shirt popped off.

He got to his knees, still behind me, and ran the contours of my back between his forefingers and thumbs. My breath quickened at his slow pace. He slid his fingers down across the juts of my backbone down to my ass. He kneaded it softly, but strongly. He undid my belt and the buttons on my jeans. He pulled them down, briefs too, and I kicked off my shoes.

He pushed my clothing aside. I didn't move. He faced me directly now, his eyes a dark obsidian. He was very close, but not close enough. I wanted to push myself against him. I wanted to be plush against every rock hard muscle he had—chest, abs, thighs, and arms. I wanted him so bad.

He let his lips touch my own, but there was no other contact. His tongue sought entrance and I acquiesced. The kiss didn't last to my chagrin. He kissed my chin then, my neck, up to my ear, and then down. Down and down he went. He made a detour at my nipple and then the other, swirling them with his tongue and sucking lightly. I bite down on my lower lip to stop it from quivering.

He was at my navel now and I knew where he was going. It still shocked me with pleasure as he took my entire length in one unfailing stride. I screamed out his name and he growled in satisfaction. He was slow on my cock, but willed it to the back of his throat. I grabbed on his hair in a vain attempt to make him go faster. To distract me, he let his nimble and dexterous fingers find their way to my hips. He kneaded the flesh there and held tight onto the bone beneath. He popped off my cock and ran his cool tongue up my left hipbone.

"I'm going to love you tonight, Logan," he said, seriousness coloring his every word. "Do you want me? Do you want me to love you?" That question ought to be rhetorical because I couldn't verbalize anything but a slow nod. Even that was difficult. Did I ever mention that I was putty in his hands? He rose to his feet and before he could react I shredded his clothes. Tiny torn pieces fluttered down around us.

I bit my lip again. "Sorry."

He smiled. That smile told me everything I ever needed to know about my mate. He loved me unconditionally. He trusted me, and he knew me. He knew that with that smile, any doubts, any worries that I might have about anything could be let go. Moreover, his smile was the light in my life. It was the comfort that he gave me, the happiness he gave me.

I returned his smile with my own. He held out his hand and pulled me over to the King size mattress. He laid me on my back and he upon me, grinding his hips against his own. Our cocks rubbed across one another and pleasure coursed through my body. A sigh made its way out of his mouth and I knew he too was experiencing pleasure. A chill ran down my spine. He was experiencing pleasure.

I pushed my lips to his and we got lost in each other. I followed the contours of his abs with my hand. Washboards had nothing on my man's eight-pack. His cock was standing at full mast leaking venom on my stomach. My eyes trained themselves on the prize that was his dick. "No, I want to love _you_," he said.

He stuck two fingers in my mouth and I sucked greedily, coating them with my venom. He pulled out and slid them down to my entrance. He slid his fingers around it and my hips bucked. I need him inside me. A flash of pain crossed my face when he pushed the first finger deep inside me. He moved it in and out slowly and the pain subsided. He inserted the second finger and really coated my entrance. I was whimpering now.

He withdrew from me completely and emptiness enveloped me. Carefully and painfully slow, he ran his hands down my leg to my ankle. He grabbed on tight and lifted my leg onto his shoulder. He did the same with my other leg. He waited then. He waited for me. He waited for me to tell him that I wanted him.

"Yes." My voice was barely audible, even for a vampire.

He nodded and slowly pushed himself inside me. His shear girth made me cry out in pain. We were so well practiced with this that Emmett knew what to do. He slowly kept pushing while I made an effort to loosen up and accept him. Inch by inch he filled me up and I felt complete, whole. Eventually he was balls deep and gritting his teeth to keep from slamming it home. The pain dulled into a good pain.

"Please, Emmett, make love to me," I whined. He shot to my lips and pulled his cock out slowly. The pain disappeared completely and when he pushed back in, when he was fully sheathed in me, the pain didn't return, only did pleasure. My stomach tightened and my cock threatened to explode. I let out a low guttural growl and he knew to increase his pace. His balls slapped at my ass and I was lost in ecstasy.

I had just enough conscious thought available to me to question whether he was enjoying himself. I would gladly give up my pleasure to ensure his. I opened my eyes—not fully aware that they had shut to begin with—and saw that his brow was tight in concentration. His eyes were slammed shut. Yes, he was being pleasured.

Emmett is being pleasured…

I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to me again. His perfect lips kissed along my neck, his perfect tongue flew across my ear. He moaned and swore loudly. I pushed my hips back to meet his stroke. He quickened his pace in a chase to find release. He about brought me to the brink and he knew it because he slowed then.

It occurred to me that I hadn't touched my cock once since this began. I didn't dare touch it now for I would explode the second I did and this perfect moment with my mate would come to an end. Instead I threw my hands above my head and he held them tightly against the headboard.

Even with his slowing thrusts my stomach began to clutch in on itself and my release was inevitable. My breath hitched again, I thrust my head back, and spoke his name through clenched teeth. My body spasmed and Emmett rode it out pile driving me. His own climax was magnanimous and his swelling, spasming cock pushed waves of pleasure through me, continuing my own orgasm.

He rested atop me, still inside me. I felt so complete, so happy, so whole. I never wanted to lose this feeling. I never wanted to lose Emmett. He was my everything.

Through the throws of passion I didn't hear that Seth had returned. I knew his heartbeat better then he did. Having super hearing and no heartbeat allowed one to focus on those who did. "I better see if he got lucky."

"Go shower first, babe. You smell like sex and well, me," Emmett advised. Without thinking I inhaled my own scent. It was a perfect mixture of me and him… his sweet scent. I popped a woody right there. "Oh, I can take care of that," he whispered seductively. He grabbed me, lifted me up bridal style again, and gave me a through blowjob in the shower. Needless to say it took me another forty-five minutes to get to Seth and see how his night went.


	7. Ch 7: The First Day, Again

Author's Note: I wasn't happy with the progression of the story so I pushed (old) Ch. 5 "First Day of School, Again" back two chapters. In its place, I inserted new Ch. 5 and 6-a fun mini-trip for Seth, Logan, and family. As you'll see in the long run, it'll better illustrate the difficulties Seth faces and how his best friend, Logan, seeks to help.

If you already read (old) Ch. 5 "First Day of School, Again," no worries. (New) Ch. 5 and 6 occur the weekend before (old) Ch. 5 so the timeline isn't ruined and there aren't spoilers, just drama, drunk messes, and sexual escapades.

As always, comments are appreciated. Perhaps some suggestions on where, when, and with whom Seth should shack up with? This isn't to say that it's even going to happen in _Life Resolute_, but even I don't know the answer to that.

…

"Explain to me again why I have to go by Cullen?" asked Seth with a yawn. Seth had elected to drive into school with Emmett and I today—the first day of school, and was sprawled out on my back seat, as sprawled as a six foot four inched lug like him could "sprawl."

I laughed.

"We're supposed to be a tight knit family so nobody asks us about our 'previous' families. Why? Does that bother you?" Emmett's tone sounded like a challenge.

"Whoa, simmer down, Cujo! I was just asking. I like my new name. It rolls off the tongue. Sethhhhhh Cullennnnnnah…" Seth hissed the last syllable until his lungs gave out.

"Mr. Cullennnnnnah, shut the hell upppah," I said. "We're almost there so put on your super secret agent face and prepare to start your brand new life!" I sounded like Bob Barker.

"Oh man, this is going to be sweet," Seth observed to himself, rubbing his hands against one another furiously. Maybe he did win a new car?

I looked to Emmett. He wasn't all too pleased about starting school, again. I had often wondered how many times the Cullen "children" had done this ritual (before I came to consider myself one of them). They probably lost count, which for vampires was saying something. Emmett's grimace folded into a smile when I reached over and caressed his thigh. I squeezed gently.

"This time will be different. This time will be better," I predicted quietly.

Emmett nodded. This time _would_ be different. It was going to be the first public showing of the Emmett-Logan coupling. It had been years since homophobia was acceptable. Today, it was very much a social, economic, and political faux pas to be homophobic, and after careful consideration, I decided to broach the subject of going public with the family when we first arrived in Maine.

From the very beginning, Emmett was very much in favor of the idea, but I was still a little apprehensive. Before I brought it up with the family however, Emmett and I agreed that if Carlisle, Jasper or any of the others had any reservations, then we would happily agree to wait another decade or so. It turned out that everyone was so supportive of the decision to go public that I found myself playing Devil's Advocate. The possibility of exposure put fear in my silent heart. After careful consideration, Jasper, the ultimate tactician and purveyor of our secrecy, decided it would be better to be public because it was so acceptable now. I decided to defer to Jasper's objectivity in the manner. His conclusion was so freeing to me because I could be myself in the outside world.

The Emmett-Logan coupling wouldn't be the only change either. In preparing for this bout of high school, the family collectively realized that going _with_ the grain was the secret to maintaining the Secret now. The "going with the grain" principle led Jasper and I to address an novel topic with the family last night.

_Last Night…_

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but can we make this quick? I have a homework due first period tomorrow and I haven't started it yet," Seth whined as he followed the family into the living room.

"Something never change," Rosalie spat. "Maybe you shouldn't have been shacking up in New York last night!"

"Anyways…" I shook my head to stop myself from bursting in laughter. "Jasper and I have discussed our plan of attack for tomorrow and well, he and I agree that we have to approach high school differently than in Forks. In Forks, we existed on the fringes and it wasn't until Bella came into our lives that we even sat with a human in the cafeteria. We live in the digital age even more now than before, which means keeping the Secret is going to be that more challenging. So what I propose is the exact opposite of what we did in Forks."

"What does that mean, love?" Emmett asked as he took a seat on the loveseat. Alice and Edward followed him to the couches, both snickering.

Rosalie eyed me suspiciously. She knew where I was going with this. "Oh my God, do I have to join the cheerleading squad?"

"If you think you make it on, darling. Try outs are this week," Jasper responded in his southern drawl. "We have several options for school… _involvement_."

I inspected the faces surrounding me. Some, like Alice and Ness, were positively giddy. Others, _cough cough_, Rosalie, were downright pissed. I sighed. "We need to be involved in the school. We need to make non-supernatural friends. We need to fit in because our lives depend on it. Just because we have heard nothing from the Volturi in a decade doesn't mean they won't come knocking tomorrow or the next day..."

"I agree with Logan." Carlisle's voice was stern. I was grateful for this. I had spent a lot of time scheming on this one. It was true that technology had exploded in use even more than when we were at Forks High. Now, it was easier to search people's faces, names, and lives. That is exactly what we needed to avoid.

I walked over to Emmett and sat on the floor between his legs. "We can avoid being noticed by being part of the crowd. That's what every American teenager strives for: being in the in-crowd. And that should be easy given our _natural_ charm."

"I'm not a teenager," Ness piped out.

"How do you want to be treated?" Emmett spouted off. "Jake could color with you again—I mean, that is your physical age. He could color with you instead of…" Emmett promptly shut up, leaving his phrasing open ended and for dirty minds to complete.

"LOGAN!" Edward yelled.

"Sorry, but I can't help what _I think_!" Bella shook her head and Emmett laughed. I peered over at Jake who was holding Ness's hand. His russet cheeks were flaming red.

"Well played, Uncle. Well played," Ness conceded.

"Anyways," I repeated. "Jasper and I have come up with options for everyone. You can do it or don't do it, but I think we need to stick to these options." One by one, I listed them off: Swimming, Cross Country, Track, Rowing, Cheerleading. These were all relatively non-contact sports, or at least, we could directly control the interaction. Of course, clubs were an option too.

"I can play sports instead of just watching them? Boo yah!" Emmett jumped to his feet with a fist pump.

"Sit down!" I yelled. His knees were sharp to my shoulder blades.

"Jersey Shore died years ago, Em. Stop!" Bella implored.

"In all seriousness, Emmett, you can participate, but you can never win." I knew Jasper's statement would deflate Emmett's happy balloon instantly. The living room became silent aside from the crackling fire and the crashing of the surf outside. We knew what Jasper meant—any sign of speed, strength, or smarts that was out of the ordinary was out of the question.

"We can think of it as a game to ourselves," Edward, the fastest of us all, said. "And what Jasper means, I think, is that you cannot win _every_ _time_. Losing all the time will get you noticed as well. I am confident we can all find a happy medium," Edward trained his eyes on Emmett, "because we will all agree to remind each other of that medium."

"What? You think I can't keep it on the down low?" Emmett asked incredulously.

"Is that rhetorical?" Seth asked.

Emmett let out a small growl, but added a smile. "Do you even know what 'rhetorical' means, pup?"

"How about this, Em, let's bet that you can't damper it?" I suggested.

"Your on! But what are the terms?" Emmett was not one to disagree to a bet.

"Let's let the terms evolve over the course of the year," I suggested.

"You're on, babe." Emmett sat down smug in satisfaction.

"Mmmmm," came out of my pursed lips. It was my way of saying, "You're fucking ridiculous, but I love all the same." Emmett knew this too. He was my better half.

_Back in the present…_

The high school was an ordinary building complete with ordinary parking lots, a football stadium, tennis courts, and most of all—ordinary students. The parking lot was teeming with teenage life. This was clearly _the_ hangout spot in the morning.

Emmett pointed to a parking spot and as I made my way towards it, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of all the turned heads. The heads were in our direction or at least, one of the cars in the Cullen caravan. I whipped into my spot and let the purr of my Mustang putter out. To my right, Rosalie pulled in her brand-new, sporty VW bug. To my left, Edward brought his Volvo in for a landing. All ten of us stepped out our respective vehicles and formed a circle in front of my car. Edward let out a small snicker.

"My… my… we are popular, aren't we?" Rosalie observed.

"Huh?" Jake peered around the cars and it was clear he disagreed with Rosalie's assessment. "You're paranoid."

"No, I am psychic," Edward cut in. "Everyone is taking peaks and then letting their teenage hormones do the rest inside their mind and I assume, body as well." Edward's clarification was met by a rolling of the eyes from Jake.

"Can't help it that I'm this fucking hot!" Emmett taunted aloud. He stretched his hands high to the sky giving everyone in the lot a view of his taut abdominals. As they peaked out beneath his forest green polo, I had to wipe some venomous drool away with my hand.

Rosalie punched Emmett in the stomach, hard.

"Ah, you bitch!" he wheezed, cradling at his stomach. "Charlie horse!"

"Stop showing off," Rosalie scolded. "Save it for someone who cares."

I raised my hand instantly. "I care." That earned me wails of laughter, mostly at my expense. What? At least I'm honest.

"We better split up. I think our group is causing a scene," Jasper warned, refusing to remove the grin from his face. Right. We didn't want to cause a scene on the first day. I punched Seth in the arm, hard, and motioned with my head that we should head in.

"Watch it, _my dear brother_. I heard that Cullen men are notorious for revenge," Seth warned nursing his arm.

"See, you're catching on already!" I intentionally bumped into Seth and simultaneously glued his shoe to the asphalt. He stumbled and cussed me out. Oops, two revenges were coming my way now. After he got himself unstuck, the Cullen clan went their separate ways to find their first classes. I had AP Calculus with Seth, Emmett, and Alice.

I was initially shocked that Seth was willing to put himself through such a thing. He had only got through Trigonometry by the skin of his teeth the first time around. But the more I thought about it, I knew that Seth was using _this_ high school experience to make up for the one he missed back in La Push. Here, he could invest in his education further and prepare for a real stint in college. He and I never had discussed college. But since I was immortal, I planned to attend whatever college or trade school Seth decided to go to. He didn't necessarily have "all the time in the world" as the saying's implication for me went so I wanted to spend as much time with my best friend as his life would allow. Okay, I'll admit it. I'm in a bromance with Seth Cullen.

We were the first to class. Emmett and I took the seats in the back row with Emmett on the far side from the window. Seth hopped into a seat the row ahead, in front of Emmett. He pulled the chair immediately in front of me out for Alice.

"What a gentleman! Chivalry is not dead," Alice giggled. She didn't move to sit however.

After confusion flew across Seth's face, Emmett instructed that Alice should sit in the seat Seth had claimed.

"Why?" he asked. The room was starting to fill up with students by now.

"Alice and Emmett need to sit farthest away from the windows," I whispered beneath the hearing range of our human peers. "We wouldn't want them to get sunburn, now would we?"

Seth snapped his fingers and pointed his finger gun at me. "Gotcha. Super Secret Spy. Yep-yep." After he vacated Alice's seat and took the seat directly in front of me, I took to bouncing my feet on his chair legs. Any way to bother Seth was a path I chose to follow. I heard a growl erupt out of his chest, but I didn't stop. The room continued to fill up and I took stock of those who decided to sit around us. All the classic cliches were represented: pretty girl, pre-ivy leaguer, band geek, mean girl, AV nerd, regular nerd, emo, goth, and even jock. Times may have changed: a jock in an _elective_ math course? Whoa.

I casually remembered back to my days at Forks High. Nate Farling would have never been in this class. What ever happened to him? An animal probably ate him. I laughed out loud.

"Something funny, pretty boy?"

My eyes trained in on the voice and my gaze fell upon a rather pretty girl. She was probably seventeen, maybe sixteen. Her eyes were a piercing hazel and her long brunette hair glowed even beneath the fluorescent lights above. If I weren't mated to the man of my dreams or gay, I would consider seeking this one out. I laughed again to myself. The pretty girl rolled her eyes. "Okay seriously, people are going to think you're some sort of wack job."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. I'm just enjoying the first day of school and first day of Calculus too much." My explanation was light and uninformative. Perfect cover.

Seth turned around and said to the girl, "Don't listen to him. He is a wack job. He thinks he's some sort of wizard. He's into all that _Dungeons and Dragons_ shit."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Wizard? Come on. You can't come up with one better than that?"

"Do you two know each other?" the girl asked.

"I'm sorry. I should have introduced myself," I said. "The name is Logan, Logan Cullen. This is," I kicked Seth's chair for good measure, "my brother, Seth."

"That's your brother?" The girl was incredulous, understandably so.

"It's a long story," I informed.

Alice cleared her throat and smiled sweetly at the brunette.

"Oh right," I redirected. "This is my sister, Alice. And this big lug is my…" I didn't want to say brother. That was soooo not our relationship. "Yeah, this is Emmett."

"Sup?" Emmett asked the girl giving her a nod. What a guy. He quickly returned to what he was busy doing earlier—staring down my backside. I hoped he was admiring my good looks and not getting pissed that I didn't say boyfriend.

Boyfriend. After all the events that we had shared—blissful ecstasy, life ending doom, and everything in between—the term "boyfriend" didn't cut it at all. It didn't bother anyone else save Bella and I, and that was because both she and I were the only two re-starting our relationships with our mates for the first time.

The pretty girl broke me out of my reverie. She was answering Emmett's question. "Nothing much, I'm Hayley by the way. Are you all seniors?"

Seth jumped in. "No, Alice is a sophomore. Emmett, Logan and I are juniors. We're all in Calc 'cause our previous school had a stellar math program."

_Stellar? Simmer down, secret agent man!_

"Right…" Hayley said.

As final bell rang _finished_ ringing, our Calc teacher ran into the class. I looked to my siblings and they were shaking their heads. Who would've thought that it would be our teacher that would be late? Class was boring as ever. I spent all of last week, aside from our New York mini-vacation, finishing off all my homework assignments. Now, I was two months ahead of schedule in all subjects, at least to the extent the teachers' syllabi calendared homework assignments. The only class I wasn't prepared for was English, but it was all British literature this semester. I would make sure to sit myself right in between Bella and Edward. They were the classic love tragedy so I knew I could soak some sort of knowledge out of them.

After the bell rang, Hayley asked where our next classes were. It turned out she was a junior as well, but she only had one other class with any us: Advanced Chemistry with me, last period.

"See you then!" Hayley giggled as she left the class.

"Well, mark one friend down on the list," Emmett suggested.

"Meh," Seth responded as he was getting out of his chair. "She seems like one of those flighty people who think they figure you out in one sitting and then decide right there and then if they'll be your friend. I guess Logan will find out where we stand in Chemistry today." Seth was probably right. Being ageless, and I guess Seth technically qualified right now, allows one to become an expert in human behavior.

…

The rest of the morning was an absolute bore. I watched the minute hand tick by second for second. By the time the lunch bell rang, I was counting the seconds in my head. I was right, of course. The clock in Modern American History was off by seven seconds. They should get that repaired.

I caught up to Seth in the lunch line and buzzed through it quickly, making sure to pick up the menu items he pointed out. He would be eating my lunch for I already _ate_. This food smelled terrible. I mean, all food smelled terrible, but the food I made for Ness and the pack smelled at least, nonterrible. Lunch food had definitely not improved since Forks High. Shocker. Not.

I didn't have to search for the new Cool Kids Table, where the Cullens would congregate, because the scent of vampires, a wolf, and a hybrid directed Seth and I to a large table farthest from the expansive windows that faced the forest outside.

What I wouldn't do for a quick run around the forest. I was feeling restless.

And it certainly didn't help matters when Emmett decided to rub my thigh underneath the table. His fingers were highly skilled. Uf. The venom in my mouth began to pool. I told myself not to drool this time! I was about pull him into the janitor's closet when Hayley called my name from across the cafeteria.

Hayley and two other girls meandered over to the Cool Kids Table after stopping to chat with a few other tables. I had to admit that I was impressed. Hayley was of the pretty girl cliche, but she was equal opportunity when it came to associating with people. "Hey, Logan, Seth, Emmett, Alice!" she said as she took a seat to the left of Seth, who was seated to my left. "These are my friends… Brianna and Allison. Is this the rest of your family?"

Brianna and Allison waved to us.

Seth piped up to answer Hayley's question. He introduced everyone and when he was done Allison jumped into the conversation.

"So I won't lie, the rumor around the school is that you're all together. Like together-together."

Bella's caught Edward's eye. She whispered, "I remember someone saying that to me once. It was so long ago."

"Yeah," Emmett answered. "That was Jessica Stanley on the first day—like your _very_ first day." Bella's lips made a gigantic "O." She was still reacquiring her human memories. This was another moment she had gotten back.

"So…" Allison jumped in again. "Is it true?"

"Wait, what have you heard?" Ness asked with a smile. This was her and Jake's first "outing" as a couple too. She was more excited than anyone.

Allison gave a whimsical story how we moved from Washington, D.C. and our father was a political powerbroker between some powerful special interest groups. It was awkward how close Allison really was. I mean, come on, Carlisle Cullen, of the Cullen Coven, of the Cullen-Quileute Alliance, that stood up to the Volturi Guard, and survived.

"Well, his day job is being a doctor," Seth answered. "And I'd appreciate it if you spread the correct rumor about my family. It goes a little like this… Dr. Cullen and his wife ran a group foster home and over time, the Washington state foster system landed each one of us there. The older we got, the more difficult it was to get adopted. So, one by one, Carlisle and Esme adopted each of us. Carlisle's great uncle passed away not too long ago and left him a crappy house in his will. Esme fell in love with the house so they shipped us across the country. I mean, although none of us are related by blood, we are very close. We've been through a lot together."

"That is so cool!" Allison exclaimed. "I wish I had a family. I do, but I mean no brothers or sisters."

_Edward?_ I thought. He nodded. Allison believed Seth completely. Wow, Seth was good.

"Agreed," Edward said.

"What?" Allison asked.

"_It is cool _that we all came together. I do not know where I would be without my family," Edward seamlessly lied with a big dose of honesty.

"Cheers," Jake said and raised his third milk carton.

"And to answer your original question," Seth said. "Yes, there are members of our family that are together-together. I guess being together for _so long_ will have that effect on people. I mean, we aren't technically related or anything."

"Nice thought," Jasper said sarcastically.

"Yeah well, I'm sure these lovely ladies can spread the gossip correctly, don't you agree?" Seth smiled a toothy grin at the humans before us. All those attending that were of the supernatural variety heard the humans' heartbeats putter faster. Seth went down the list of mated pairs. It was awkward for Jake and Edward when Seth went over the Jake-Ness pairing. If Edward could blush, he would have. It was probably good that he couldn't because Ness wasn't supposed to be Edward's daughter, and the only other possible explanation was that Edward had a thing for his daughter. AWKWARD!

When Seth got to the Logan-Emmett pairing, I grabbed for Emmett's hand under the table. I was nervous and only Emmett could make it better. I didn't know if he shared my anxiety and that part killed me. What I wouldn't give to be Eddie right now!

"And the final pair is…" Seth started, but I slammed my boot down on Seth's foot. Yep, there was a crunch of bone. "OW!"

I raised my eyebrows apologetically. "Oops, sorry. My foot slipped."

Seth nursed his clearly broken foot with a grimace toward me. With a sudden jerk, he rolled it and we all heard resetting of bone. The whole scene was lost on Hayley, Allison, and Brianna though.

Hayley piped in, apprehension coloring her voice. "So who is the final pair?"

_How dense can these people be?_ I thought.

Seth put his foot down and kicked his other foot hard to the side. It sounded like he kicked the steel of the chair, but it was my calf. Ouch. "Yeah, the final pairing is…"

I took a breath.

"Logan and Emmett here. These two orbit each other's worlds. I hope to find something like that some day," Seth concluded. Oh my Lord! It was out. Ugh, this whole move was destroyed now. We'll be targets of questioning, commentary, and gossip.

"Don't lose yourself, love," Emmett whispered. He clenched my thigh, hard. He broke me out of my fit in sufficient time to hear Hayley's reaction. Well, it wasn't so much a reaction to Emmett and I…

"Wait, so you're available?" Hayley said. That question was to Seth. The interest in her voice was palpable.

WHAT!?

I laughed to myself. Hayley and the others didn't care. No biggie in their books. They were more interested in the fact that Seth's single. Wait…

"Yeah, he's single," Emmett announced. "And straight." Oh gosh, Seth is going to kill me later this evening, for Emmett. Let's see… revenge times four? Was Seth's return kick a revenge for crushing his foot? I guess I'll have to see this evening.

"Um, I mean…" Seth tried to say. "I'm straight, but…" He scratched his head awkwardly. He didn't know what to say, but his body language said everything. The girls undressed him slowly with their eyes, Allison and Hayley that is. Briana was staring down my man.

"Problem, Brianna?" Emmett asked with a smile. He knew exactly what Brianna was doing and Emmett planned to milk it for all that it was worth. What a bastard.

"Are you sure you're gay? I would've never picked you out for being of the homosexual variety. No offense." Brianna was quick to the point. Is it bad that I contemplated fusing this wench's tampon to her vagina?

"Yes," Edward said aloud. To anyone else, it looked like he was talking to Bella, but I knew what Edward was _really_ saying. _No tampon fusing!___

I looked to Emmett and he reassured me with another squeeze of his hand. My dick ached inside my jeans. I thought it might tear a hole through the fabric, which would bring a whole new level of exposure to my life. Fuck, Emmett was SO DISTRACTING.

He gave Brianna his dazzling smile. Yeah, he was a bastard! "Actually, I didn't consider myself gay until Logan came into my life. He's my one and only, so aside from him, I guess I'm asexual." Emmett's response was calm and collected. It was almost scientific, which for people who knew Emmett, that made it sound strange.

"Bummer!" Brianna resolved herself to the fact that Emmett wasn't on the smorgasbord of male tail. I had Emmett's male tail all to myself and frankly, if he didn't stop touching me, I was going to throw him on the lunch table and have my way with him right there and then.

Jasper, ever the emotional sponge, shifted in his chair and looked to Alice. Her smirk was all that was needed and they disappeared through a side door.

After a quick glance at my watch, I noted that we still had fifteen minutes before class. Perfect. I caught Emmett's gaze and shifted my head towards the door.

"What?" Emmett asked coyly. Again, bastard.

I shifted my head again.

"What?!"

Oh for god's sake! I grabbed his dick with my mind and stroked it to a full and uncomfortable length. Was that a sufficient answer for Emmett?

"Um, so I got to go to the office. My locker is jammed and the custodian needs to fix it," Emmett informed. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

"Mmmmhmmmm," Seth commented sarcastically.

"Don't be a douche, Seth. Wait until you find your Imprint!" I whispered quietly.

"Hey, aren't you two going to eat?" Allison asked taking note of our full plates of nasty cafeteria grizzel.

"I got this," Seth declared stabbing his fork into my meatloaf surprise.

"Dibs!" Jake grabbed Emmett's tray. Well, that took care of that question.

Emmett squeezed my hand and we walked at a semi-human pace out of the cafeteria. I scanned through the walls of the school and committed the layout to memory. "There's a large supply room on the other side of the north wing. Nobody's in there or near it," I said.

"Perfect," Emmett growled. We ran like the vampires that we were.

Once we were in the supply room, I locked the door. I turned around to meet Emmett's gaze. He lowered his head but kept his eyes on me. A growl erupted from his chest and he pounced on me. I let him drop me to the floor with a rather loud thud.

I returned his growl.

He lavished me in kisses. His sweet scent rushed over me and I got drunk off him. His lips and mouth tasted like the sweet tea that I'm sure I would have drank with him had we been human and in his native Tennessee.

I could drink Emmett all day long, but sadly we only had fifteen minutes. I've had less with him before so I couldn't complain. A quickie only tempered the craving inside me for Emmett. Yep, he's getting extra lucky tonight. Yep-yep.

…

The rest of the day went at a snail's pace, but the Lord had mercy today and canceled last period Chemistry for me. Every year, the high school had an activities fair on the first day so everyone could see what was offered. The fair was mostly for freshmen, but I still enjoyed it far too much what with all the free stuff I acquired. I may have been a multi-millionaire, but there was nothing quite like free stuff. I gave Seth all my food pick-ups, stuff like Sour Patch Kids and pizza, and he gave me all the Frisbees, stress balls, and pens he picked up.

As we meandered by all the tables, I found myself trying to decide to what kind of person I wanted to be in this high school experience. Cripes, there were so many options: pretty boy, pre-ivy leaguer, band geek, nerd, emo… What I eventually settled upon was jock… My tiff with that Farling kid years ago was forever engrained in my brain. Farling the Jock picked the wrong person to bully… I wanted to be the jock this time, but moreover, a nice one.

Hmmm… What sport? I went through my self-made list of approved sports, but couldn't settle upon any of them. I dragged Seth to every table. He found himself looking into Track, but the Football coach was after him to join up. Wow, Coach Olsen revisited… The last table I hit was the crew rowing team. Allison was explaining the sport to a pair of freshmen girls and was having difficulty getting her message across. The girls looked utterly disinterested.

This was the case until I walked up. All three girls gawked at me, observing my innate beauty or as Emmett put it, hotness.

"Yeah," Allison stammered. "We're technically two teams—boys and girls, but we practice together and compete together…" As Allison spoke more and more about rowing, the sport sounded interesting. And if I were in a boat all by myself, I definitely could control my performance with inhuman precision.

I took a flyer from Allison and gave her a warm smile. "Yeah, Al, I think I'm going to try out." I gawked back at the freshmen girls and suggested they try out too. They swooned and their hearts fluttered.

"Awesome!" Al screamed loudly, which made my ears bleed a bit (hypothetically of course). Whatever… She was cool in my book. "You'll like Daniel," she continued. "He's the boys team captain. Coach Adams is a real hard ass, but you'll see the performance boost for sure!"

"Whoa, whoa… who said I would make the team?" I joked. I mean, I knew I would make the team, but I had to play the humble one.

"You got a rower's body, Logan. You'll do fine given some training!" she said with a tap to my bicep. I curled it reflexively.

"Exactly," Al said with open arms. "Tryouts begin tomorrow after school! Make sure you got your physical in by then. I heard a doctor from the hospital is going to be here tonight to do them for free, so stick around."

I nodded. Yeah, I knew who would be doing my physical, or at least signing off on a fake one. Hey, Dad!


	8. Ch 8: Sports, Sex, and Partying

A/N: Sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. Sometimes one just doesn't feel inspired to write anything down. I hate those spells, but alas… I admit this is more of a filler chapter, but it sets up the stage for some planned plot twists and turns later on. Please leave comments!

…

The next day, with a fake physical card in one hand and the scruff of Seth's neck in the other, we arrived at rowing tryouts. "I don't wanna row," Seth complained.

"You want some cheese with you whine?" I retorted. "I'm not doing this by myself, and nobody else wanted to do it. Ergo… you're doing it…"

"Don't you have Emmett for this?" Seth argued.

"Don't remind me…" I sighed in annoyance. I couldn't convince anyone to row with me. It seemed cool enough to me, but Emmett was more interested in track. I thought about tempting him with sexual favors, but later concluded that Emmett and I—in this type of team atmosphere—would result in one of two things happening. Either we'd get kicked off the team for having sex in the boathouse or we'd get kicked off the team because we couldn't get along as teammates. Yeah, I just re-convinced myself in thinking about it now. Emmett and I apart on this one is a good thing.

I spent all night reading up on the sport including whatever videos I could find. During my pre-school hunting trip this morning, I explored the school's facilities. They were immaculate, but that wasn't hard to believe. The island was full of old money and therefore, the school system was well-stocked with books, computers, and an awesome boathouse, state of the art equipment, and floating bleacher platforms for spectating.

Al saw our approach and met us half way between the parking lot and the boathouse. "Hey guys! Glad to see you both!" Al's smile was enormous, and her blue eyes complemented the lake behind her well. "So this what we got. I'm going to introduce you to the Coach and Danny, and we'll get you all set up in a shell."

"Wait, we're canoeing on the water today?" Seth gulped. He looked uneasy. I followed his gaze and found myself gulping myself.

"Man, those are tiny boats," I commented.

"Yeah, most of the _shells_ are 25 lbs, unless were talking about an eight, those can be a bit heavier. And we're _not_ talking about canoeing, Seth! Rowing. Not everyone gets the terminology right. No big dealio though." Al made it sound like weight _was a problem._ I was worried about the size itself.

"Rowers!" an older man yelled, "front and center!"

"That'll be Coach!" Al informed. "Good luck!"

"For those who don't know me," the old man threw a thumb to his brawny chest, "I'm Coach Jandron, so call me 'Coach.'" He went over the academic requirements to participate, collected our physical cards, and went over how many boys and girls he could take on this year. "Now nobody's spot from last year is safe accept the team captains." Jandron eyed a tall boy with long ginger locks and freckles indicative of a summer spent in the sun. Jandron also pointed to Al. Was she the girl's team captain? She didn't tell me that one which is pretty modest of her in my book. Sneaky too. Of course she would recruit! Made sense now.

"Anyways," Jandron gained my attention again. "We are going to divide you all into two groups. All those who have touched an oar in their life stay here. All those who haven't over there!" He pointed towards the boathouse.

The skinny ginger, or Danny as he introduced himself led our group of novices to the boathouse while Jandron took the experienced kids down to the water. The boathouse was huge. It had a classroom complete with a chalkboard (rather rare in this era) and desks. There were thirty different shells displayed in several rows of racks. They were painted in our school colors: green with white trim. What caught my attention was that these shells were long, slender, and most importantly, fragile looking.

"One of these shells costs upwards of thirty grand, so… be careful…" Danny warned. "Now that we're away from Coach I'm going to give you the lowdown of Trojan Crew."

"Coach isn't going to waste his time with any of you unless you got skill, so our job is to teach you the stroke and get you on the water as soon as possible. If you don't flip your boat or break it, and show Coach you're worth training, you'll be on the team. He'll let you know by the end of the day. Sounds harsh, and it is, but so is rowing. Any questions?"

"This is stupid," Seth whispered to me below everyone else's hearing range. "Danny's a tool bag."

"No. This is awesome!" I smiled. Danny was a dick, and so was Coach, but I can deal with dicks. I'm mated to one. Well he's only _sometimes_ a dick. I elbowed Seth in the arm. "What's the matter?"

"I'm a wolf, not a salmon," Seth revealed.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me something I don't know. Look, if you don't like it after the day is over, regardless if you make the team, you don't have to row if you don't want to. Fair?"

Seth's wolfish growl was all I got in response. It would have to be good enough.

"We'll get you shell assignments and show you the stroke," Al said coming up from the experienced group. "Logan and Seth, you take this shell."

Al pointed to an uber thin shell that screamed, "Don't break me supernatural beings, please!" Al showed Seth and I how to lift the shell and the proper commands to use. The shell was light as a feather and between Seth and I, we could toss it a couple of miles without a second thought.

As we slowly lowered the skull into the water, Seth whispered, "Good thing you can mend molecules. I mean, if we bust the boat and all."

I laughed. "Hopefully, I can mend it before we sink…"

"Mend it?" Al asked.

Thankfully, Seth was smart and joked, "Yeah, he has a bunch of duck tape in his pocket…" I tapped my empty shorts pocket.

"Mmmmmmm," she murmured. "You'll sink before you can tape a hole. The shells are stronger than they look though. They may be light, but their tough. Just don't step anywhere that doesn't have the white tape. The taped areas are safe spots."

I glanced over the skull. For a two-seater, there were eight safe spots. For a vampire and a wolf, we needed like… one. I glanced at Seth; he appeared more confident with that information.

"Okay, now that we have all the skulls in the water, I'm going to show you the proper procedure to get in. This way, you won't fall in. Remember it's all about balance and control!" Danny emphasized. He was quick on and off his single shell. "Remember, there isn't an real graceful way of getting on. You just kind of roll on without rolling into the water."

_Grace?_ I thought. I met Seth's eye.

"Yeah, we got grace…" Seth boasted.

One by one, everyone before Seth and I, swamped themselves and their boat. Wow, would all of them get cut? How would we have a team?

"Logan… Seth… your turn…" Danny commanded. Following Danny's model exactly, I got in… The shell barely disturbed the water, and I knew I wouldn't even need the oars to balance in it. The oars, for humans at least, were the necessary component to staying upright. Lose an oar, lose control, sploosh!

Now it was Seth's turn._ If he swamp me, so help me!_ Nope. We were fine. Al assisted us with a push off the dock and we were out in the lake.

"Now do the stroke like we showed you!" Al yelled from the dock. "Come up to the catch! Now, drive! Recovery… Catch… Drive… Keep an even pace!" I briefly thought about swamping Seth and I to keep the illusion that we were novices intact. Not only were we experts in not swamping, we were experts in the stroke.

"You know, I could really get used to this…" Seth laughed. "Being perfect…"

Oh geez. "Never got to be special in La Push, did you?"

"Nope." There was a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"You know though…" Recovery… Catch… Drive… "We better not be inhumanly perfect…" I cautioned. The discussion the night before our first day at school resonated hugely on the water.

"Swamp it?" Seth asked deviously.

"Let go of your oar right after the drive…" I returned the deviousness.

"On it!" Seth announced and we gave it one more stroke. Seth let go of the oar and it smacked at him with a loud crack. With a quick spin and splash, the shell was upside down and we were enjoying the cool waters of the lake.

Danny and Al came up in a double of their own. "You boys alright?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, water is a little cold though…" Seth _fake_ whined.

"Congratulations on catching your first crab, Seth! You both were doing so good too! I hope this doesn't turn you off!" Al began.

A crab?*

I looked to Seth and in unison we yelled, "Nope!" Once we were back in our shell and zipping up and down the lake, Seth and I developed a system to imperfect our perfect performance. He would screw up a stroke or I would almost swamp us, and then we would switch. Towards the end of tryouts, Danny directed us to line up for practice races. We won two of the five. Al and Danny won the other two with another pair of real novices winning the other. I knew Al and Danny intentionally let the novice pair win to promote team spirit, but hopefully Al and Danny didn't know that we also let the novices win, and Al and Danny for that matter too!

After three hours on the water, Coach called us in. We put away the shells with Seth helping Al and all the other ladies. _What a ham, er, I mean gentleman,_ I thought. _How has he not imprinted?_

"Gather around, boys and girls," Coach said gruffly. "So it probably escaped your notice, but I had all the experienced rowers watch you newbies and help decide who would get on the team and who wouldn't. This is a cutthroat sport, so I'm equally cutthroat." Coach then went on to announce those who made the team and those who didn't. Seth observed that the only ones not to make it hadn't been serious at tryouts—a couple of senior jocks who couldn't play football because of injuries and two freshman girls that were more upset that their mascara was running (please note that we were on a lake, ergo, water) than to practice balance and the stroke.

"Not very cutthroat to me…" Seth whispered.

Agreed.

As the kids who didn't make the team left, Coach called us into huddle. "Now that you're on the team, you got to get the gear. You," he pointed at Seth, "I need to see you in spandex tomorrow or you're cleaning the boathouse for week."

I laughed.

"Excuse me, Coach?" Seth murmured.

Al jumped in then. "What he means, Seth, is that you need tight fitting clothes or you're going to get it caught in the seat track. If the wheels on your seat can't move, you won't move, and will tip instead. See…" Al pointed up and down her slender form in a pair of tight fitting compression shorts and a tight tight tank. My dick stirred a bit, which was most disconcerting. She was pretty, but damn…

"I'll make sure my brother gets some proper attire, Coach," I interjected trying to get some images out of my brain.

"You too, Cullen," Coach pointed at me.

"Yes, sir," I responded.

"Right! Anyways, we have our first regatta in two weeks, and for all you newbies, we're talking game, meet, or competition. Danny will set you up with uniforms before we take off for the regatta, but we have to hit the water hard if we are going to beat Augusta Christian Southern! They edged us out of the state tourney last year and I'm not about to let that happen again." Man, Coach was animated with his hand gestures. I'm not well versed in sign language, but either he creates is own interpretation of what he's saying or he's creating his own language entirely.

Seth and I hopped into my Mustang after Coach let us go. I turned it over and let the beautiful roar of raw American power overtake my senses. My moment was cut short when I heard someone tapping on my window. I turned my head to see that Al was waving like an idiot. "What's up?" I asked as I'm rolled down my window.

"Sweet ride," she complimented. "I just wanted to say thank you, um, to the both of you for coming out to the lake today! I can tell it's going to be a great year! See you later!"

As we sped down the highway towards home, Seth commented, "Man, that Allison chick is real cheery. It makes me kind of sick."

"How sick?" I asked hoping to bait him for a comment I can use against him later.

"Like when you eat too much sugar, like one of those stomach aches…"

I sighed. "Can't say that I've had one of those in years…" Duh, I was a vampire, idiot.

"Right, reminds me of you actually. You smell too sweet, it makes my doggy nose sick." Seth laughed at his own joke.

Yeah, I smelled sweet, but Seth smelled like a wet dog. He was _my_ wet dog though so I had to learn to like it. "Whatever," I murmured.

The early evening faded into dark night and Emmett was regaling me on his exploits on the track team. "You should've been there, babe, I threw that shot put like absolute crap! I heard Coach mumbling like an idiot about how wrong he was thinking my guns would equal a star thrower… Dead wrong!" Emmett kissed his left bicep. The house was buzzing. Jake and Seth were gouging themselves on a pot roast, Ness was orbiting Jake like she always did, and Carlisle was writing in his medical journals with Edward's assistance. Rose was tinkering away on the computer ordering new parts for her car while Bella was contentedly reading in the living room near Emmett and I. I muffled a laugh at Bella's outfit: really old sweats and a baggie sweater that would be too big for Emmett even. Where was Alice on this fashion faux pas? She was out of course, so that meant Jasper was out as well. Those two were inseparable. I needed time away from my man so I could enjoy the time with him. Otherwise the bitch would smother me. He was sort of doing it now.

"Em, you know that this bet is about a lot more serious things than a bet, right?"

Emmett growled quietly. "Babe, I've been doing this 'keep the secret' thing way before your parents were born. This isn't my first trip around the block."

"Its your first trip around the track though!" yelled Jake from the kitchen.

"Well said," Carlisle commented from the library.

I released my eyebrow and it shot straight up. It was becoming my signature look that I gave Emmett whenever I knew I was right regardless if Emmett knew. Adding my signature, "Mmmmmmm" utterance would be over kill in this situation though.

"Agreed," Edward thought out loud.

I caught Emmett's eye then. He sniffed the air. I did the same. Human.

"Allison is at the front gate," Edward announced.

Esme walked over the gate control console and hit the intercom button as soon as Al beeped in. "Hello," Esme chimed. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, this is Allison Wellington, I'm a friend of Logan's."

"Sure, sure, honey," Esme said. "Let me open the gate, one moment." Al's scent increased exponentially in intensity as she approached in her car. We all knew what to do of course. The house was already story-proofed as in, we had a good, believable story for every item, every book, every dust mite. The house looked like normal humans lived in it. Any supernatural thing was hidden or again, could be easily explained away.

Al jumped out of a flashy coral-colored Jeep. If Emmett was a little more flamboyant, I think he would've drooled over the four by four. I looked back to Emmett, and yep, he was drooling.

I met Al on the porch. "Hey, teammate, what's going on?"

"Um," Al started, but was interrupted by Esme.

"Logan Cullen!" Esme spoke with her mother's tone into full gear. "Where are your manners? Invite our guest in."

I held the door open for Al and whispered to her, "Any opportunity for my mother to showoff the house."

"Logan!" Esme shrieked.

Al laughed. "You must be Mrs. Cullen. It's very nice to meet you."

"Oh, you are such a doll!" Esme crooned.

Carlisle conveniently arrived then and offered his hand in greeting. I heated it up for him with my mind in the nanosecond before contact. Yes, call me, Houdini. "We were just finishing up dinner. The boys are cleaning up, but you are welcome to some dessert," offered Carlisle.

"Esme's double chocolate fudge cake is awesome!" Seth called from the kitchen.

"Oh, well, thanks!" Al said. Esme ushered her into the dining room while Seth cut the cake up. He made sure to put a big piece of the nasty ass thing in front of me. Meanwhile, the human girl was having a foodgasm over her piece. "MRS. C! This is just so freaking good! Thank you!" Al moaned.

I felt that stir in my pants again. Fuck me.

"So what brings you over?" Jake asked.

"Oh yeah!" Al stood from her chair at the breakfast island. "I'm here on official captain's business! Logan, Seth… did you buy your gear?"

"Uh…" Seth responded.

"Yeah, I'll take that as a no," Al grinned. "Coach was serious. It's what lost him the tourney last year. Everything now is skin tight. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

Like a siren sounded off, Alice shot into the room. Where did she come from? "Hi, friend!" Alice said cheerfully.

"Whoa!" Al seemed skiddish. "Hi, Alice."

"Did I hear the word 'shopping'?" asked Alice excitedly. Of course she heard it.

Seth and I collectively sighed.

"Yeah, we have to get these boys all stocked up in spandex for tomorrow or Coach will have their heads," said Al.

Seth coughed. "Uh, it's a little late, you think?"

"Nonsense!" Alice exclaimed. "Richard's Sporting Goods is open for another two hours. Something about late night shopping for late night anglers!" Fifteen minutes later, I was trying on spandex that fit me on a glove. It gave me the support that I never wanted in my entire male life. Both the tank top and compression shorts were jet-black and showed off my musculature quite well. I liked that last part. _Maybe this wouldn't be so bad,_ I thought. _I mean, I am at least that vain._ I exited the dressing room and enjoyed witnessing Emmett's eyes bug out. As they darkened, I knew what tonight's festivities would include.

"Better get several sets," Alice said as she grabbed Al by the arm and left us to thumb through the racks for my size.

"How do I look, Em?" I asked approaching Emmett's still frame.

He bent his head down to my ear and whispered, "I cannot wait to tear that fucking spandex from your hide and _stroke_ you until morning." Whoop! I slunk out of Em's grasp and back into the dressing room. I had to get out of these shorts immediately. My raging hardon was enough to tell me that firstly, Al held no candle to my man, and secondly, I needed some Emmett tonight, real bad. I changed back into my khaki sorts and a hoodie in a less than a second.

Coming out of the dressing room, I threw the shorts and the top at Emmett so he could hold it. He smelled it instead. My left eye spasmed. "Babe, ew…"

"I'm not wearing this shit," Seth belted out from his dressing room.

I pivoted on my heel and stared through the door. "You look fine, Seth."

"WHAT!? You can see me?" Seth croaked.

"Please, I've seen way more of this family than I dare admit further," I said trying unsuccessfully to keep those nasty visions from my consciousness.

"Fuck," Seth yelped. "It doesn't fit…" I felt around the locking mechanism and with a not so subtle click, I pulled the door open and got a full frontal of Seth.

"Dude, get out!" Seth stammered.

"Please…" I said sarcastically. I pushed Seth against the far wall and filtered through Seth's size options. "Here, try this one on. It's supposed to be snug. That's the point."

Seth didn't move.

"Now," I boomed. Seth dropped his shirt that he was trying to cover his front. I've already said it before, but I'll say it again: Already seen it. It's like kind of like human food, I can appreciate it, but it certainly doesn't get my rocks off. Emmett's did though… Shit. I'm going to sport a boner in my brother's dressing room. This is way too fucked up.

Seth pulled on the tank and shorts, and well, he looked like a rower.

"Better?" I asked.

"It's still tight. I'm more of a… you know… freeballer… like… you know, the whole wolf thing."

"Yeah, I've known you're not Jewish for like a decade!" Emmett boomed from outside. The whole store heard that. I was going to kill my mate, if Seth didn't first that is.

"You'll get used to it," I said.

"I'm used to Emmett's brand of humor, bro," Seth replied.

"I was talking about…"

"I know," Seth said with a smile.

"You know, you and Emmett are the only two bastards in my life that…" I murmured.

"And that is how I know you love us," Seth laughed.

"Can we go?" Emmett was impatient.

Two hours and four hundred dollars later, our shopping party arrived home. Al couldn't stay long after because she had homework to do. The second Al's car was off the property line Emmett picked me up and carried me to our room. With the door promptly shut and locked for good measure, Emmett demanded that I put the rowing outfit on again.

"Just this one time," I acquiesced.

Emmett let gravity take over and fell into our King size bed. "Yeah, sure…" he mumbled.

Right. I disappeared into our giant closet and switched my comfy attire to tight attire. Emmett's growl greeted me as I stepped back out into our room. His were dark obsidian. They pierced my soul, and my spandex. I walked over to meet Emmett at the bed. His eyes followed every motion of my body, every nuance of form and function. He was scooted up the bed with back against the headboard, His dick was pushing hard on his jeans.

In less than a breath, Emmett flipped out of the bed, grabbed me, threw me down, and tore my spandex off. Yeah, he wasn't allowed to see me in spandex, ever. I only got so many pairs. Our lovemaking was not so loving that night, more needy, hot, heavy, and fast. Too fast in my opinion, but the best part about having a vampire to love was the recovery time was instantaneous.

…

The week progressed quickly and by Saturday morning, Carlisle, Esme, Seth, and I were attending the first track meet of the season. I came out to see Emmett _lose_ at his events and therefore _win_ the bet against me. We still hadn't ironed out the details on that bet and it was starting to freak me out how accurate Emmett was in his statistics. He was literally average in every event. Distance, speed, accuracy… all average. He nailed the 1000-meter dash so that his time would be 75% the difference between the fastest and slowest time. Then, he threw the shot put 75% the difference between the farthest and shortest throw. Bastard. What was the worse, was in between his events, all these nasty ass hoes—girls and boys—thought it cute to flirt with him. He didn't win ladies and gentlemen. Move along!

"Stop bitching," Seth chided under his breath.

Esme let out a motherly gasp. Like that wasn't expected?

"Hey, Logan!" a girl's voice startled me from behind. It was Al. The girl had a unique voice—it pierced the air. She and her family were sitting a few rows up on the bleachers.

"What's up?" Seth asked as she moved down and stood before us.

"Uh, nothing much, you?" Al asked awkwardly.

Uh? "Anyways," I began. "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you two about some Crew stuff?"

"Uh, yeah," Seth agreed and got up.

I joined the two as they descended a dozen bleachers and out of the assumed hearing range of my "human" parents. Al's eyes flashed deviously. "Yeah, so no real Crew gossip to report, but yeah… there's a party tonight in the woods near Acadia Cliffs. You'll be there, right? Get your brothers and sisters to go. You know, to get the real Mount Desert High experience and all."

We were all about experiences. Seth caught my eye and nodded. I nodded myself. "Would you like a ride?" I offered.

"Nah, I'm gonna go with Hayley. We gotta primp and stuff." Right. Primp. I looked out to the track were Hayley was throwing the shot put. Sweat poured down her face and funneled down into her very apparent cleavage. Seth must have caught my line of sight because I heard his already fast heart beat putter faster and scented a subtle pheromone switch—the typical heterosexual unimprinted male shifter response. You know, that old thing.

"Okay, sounds good, Al," I said. "We'll see you there."

"Awesome! Starts at dusk, but the real party isn't until midnight!" Al gave me a quick hug and was off.

Seth and I settled back up next to Carlisle and Esme. Esme sighed, judgment coloring every sound. "It's not like we are actually underage, _Mom_," I attempted to rationalize. It failed miserably.

"I know how old you are, Logan Cullen," Esme spat. "I just don't believe becoming a member of the 'cool crowd' should mean you associate yourself with the drinking crowd as well."

"Yeah, but I doubt they are mutually exclusive, Esme," Seth laughed. He had a point.

"Okay…" Esme sighed, the judgment chronic now. I rolled my eyes and took my bleacher seat next to Seth.

…

Hours later, the Cullen children were preparing for their first night of illegal teen debauchery. Sometimes I had wondered why the likes of Jasper or Edward would ever want do stuff like this, being as old as they were. Edward popped his head into my room and answered my question, "When your immortal, finding stimulating things gets exponentially harder as the years go by."

Fair enough.

"And I'm not old," he spat.

I smiled and Emmett rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Eddieman," I replied, closing the door in his face. I rested my back on the door and observed Emmett as he got ready. He had freshly showered and was walking around in nothing but a white towel wrapped tight around his waist. His gait is what got me. So long, so confident, so masculine. I gulped hard. He bent to grab some shoes and I let out a low, guttural growl at the sight.

Emmett turned slightly to look over his shoulder at my piercing gaze. He smiled slyly. He bent down again and picked up another pair of shoes, but remained down _there_, giving me a full view of his wonderful cloth-clad ass. And then there was the way his back arched, accentuated by the strong muscle fibers beneath. They pushed against his skin, creating the perfect chiseled form. I became determined to get a piece of Emmett's peach cobbler or whatever the hell he used to eat in Tennessee, tonight. He must have sensed my intentions because he pulled the cord on the drapes. As the panoramic view of the Atlantic faded, he touched the knot that held his towel in place.

"Nope," I announced. I lifted him with my ability and set him gently face down on the center of our bed. He made no effort to move. I shed my own clothes, desiring the carnal skin on skin contact. The only thing that separated us now was a bare bit of air and his towel. I made short work of the air and sat atop his hindquarters. Still he made no effort to move. He also made no sound. He just waited.

I bent forward and pushed his hands far above his head. I became fascinated as his back muscles rearranged themselves with his new position. "Beautiful," I whispered. My dick agreed as it was at full mast, resting uncomfortably on his towel. I kissed down his left hand, elbow, shoulder, and up to his burgeoning neck. A fire seemed to consume me beginning where my lips grazed him. It tore through my body and I became heated. It was a good heat though. I found his neck again. He hissed when I bit down, pain mixed with pleasure. His body shuddered, but he kept himself controlled. I licked the wound, my venom sealing it shut without any scar.

My fingers followed the contours of his back and I would mix and mold them invariably. He let out a quiet whine, which I had to admit was both unexpected and hot as hell. Emmett Cullen wasn't the kind of guy who whined yet… He. Was. Whining.

"Don't stop," he whispered. His voice broke me out of my lusty reverie and I realized that I had indeed stopped. I returned to his shoulders and massaged away any stress he might be carrying. I followed his contours to the small of his back. He moaned when I applied pressure to his sides. I peered back behind me and saw his toes were clutched tightly together. I lifted myself and pulled the towel away from him. As I sat back down, my aching hardon fell into his crevice.

I inhaled his sweet scent and it clouded my brain. It called to me. Like a singer, I couldn't resist it, or him. I had never met my human singer thankfully; he would have to do for now. The musk; the saccharine; the raw, unadulterated, sexpot. He was mouthwatering. I had to taste of him. I rested against him, my front flush against his back. I growled deeply at Emmett's ear as my dick pressed hard at his opening. He said nothing, did nothing. We had never been in this state before.

Emmett and I were adventurous and imaginative when it came to our sex life, but Emmett preferred the control. He preferred to top. I preferred to submit, to bottom. My ability, my life was about control and releasing it, especially to someone I loved so much, was like having my cake and eating it too. But I would see where _this_ would go, see where Emmett would go with me.

I let my papery tongue feel the curvature of his ear. I rolled it between my lips and he pushed his hips into me with a lurch. His hands clung to comforter with a vengeance. It was already torn, feathers floating upwards. He pushed his hips upwards again. I realized then he wanted friction. He wanted pressure. He wanted me to…

I gulped. "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

I raised my eyebrow in a sly smirk. I moved to the nape of his neck and darted my tongue against his skin. It tasted as sweet as his scent was to my nose. Venom pooled in my mouth as I traversed down the bumps of his backbone. Goosebumps flew up in a fury at my progression and he whined again.

Tension filled him as I approached his prize. I kissed either cheek of his ass and kneaded them under my hands. He pushed up again, attempting more contact with me. I was already a step ahead. I pushed his globules apart and witnessed his nub of flesh. His entrance.

I waited for Emmett then. I waited for his permission, for his trust in me.

He nodded again.

I ran the length of his valley from his balls to the small of his back in a short glide, venom coating everything. Emmett spasmed and came in a torrent. His whines of pleasure went straight to my dick and I about spontaneously combusted. Minutes went by and eventually Emmett settled down. I waited again, thinking that perhaps this is how far we were allowed to go this evening. He turned his head to one side and sighed. "Please, Logan. I want you to." His sheer desperation, his desire and devotion made me pant. Venom coated my tongue again and I knew where to put it. I shot to Emmett's entrance once more and probed it more fully. He spasmed again, but this time he was better prepared and didn't come right away. I let my venom spill down to his balls and I massaged them. I slunk my hand beneath him and gave his cock a few strokes. He bucked his hips down hard, seeking contact.

On my own end, I wanted, no, I needed him. I needed to… own him? Yes! And further, he needed to know that. I blew a cool breath against his ass and in return I got his sigh. It was both reassuring and cute. Yeah, he was cute when he sighed. I'd have to remind him of that. Taking his reassurance in one hand (metaphorically), I pushed a digit of my other hand into Emmett's warm, tight heat. It was well lubricated with my venom, but I knew that I would have to prepare him for me. I knew my length and girth, Emmett did too, but his ass sure didn't.

Even with one finger, he hissed when I entered him. I knew the pain was a good one, but it was pain nonetheless. At one moment, when he didn't seem to be getting used to it, I thought about stopping altogether. But that surely would've been more terrible for Emmett. He was the kind of guy who felt he could do anything. His definition of "anything" definitely included this, I knew him that well. So, I committed. I spit more venom down and took my time. Patience was key here. For all intents and purposes, Emmett was losing his virginity. Being gay had so many perspectives.

Soon enough, Emmett's contorted face became calm, almost relieved. He started to buck his hips back and forth on my finger and I knew that two fingers were needed. By the third digit, I concluded that he was ready for the real deal. Me. Three digits wasn't my equivalent, thanks to genetics and venom, but this first experience needed to be special. Nothing quick.

I pulled Emmett up so that he was up on all fours at the end of the bed. His fleshy entranced screamed for my dick, and it replied by spewing more venom. I stroked myself and made sure I was well coated in lubrication. I would minimize his discomfort at all costs.

"Ready?" I whispered huskily.

"Yeah," he whispered back. What a role reversal. What a fucking turn on! With one hand on his hip and the other at the base of my dick, I pushed slowly, gently, and evenly into Emmett. He was tight. He was hot. I was panting like a damn teenager, my dick threatened to explode with each millimeter. I raked my eyes open. I couldn't see his face, but the strain in his back told me was I was going too fast. I was hurting him. I stopped and pulled out slightly.

"NO!" he roared. "I'm getting used to it."

I hesitated. I needed some encouragement.

"Please?" he whined. "I want this." Hot damn, that whine! But I was only half way in. Fuck it! I kept pushing and gritted my teeth. My hips bumped into his ass and I was in, balls deep. And hot damn squared, it was fucking awesome.

"Tell me when I can, you know…" I growled. I was becoming delirious. I had my mate for the first time. I had Emmett. He was mine.

Emmett started to pull forward and backward. That was him telling me that I could, you know…

I grabbed Emmett's hips and gritted my teeth. I pulled my dick almost out and then slid my tip right back in. Emmett yowled in pleasure. He flung his hand back and grabbed my own ass. He held it tight as if pushing me forward, forward into him. I was only too happy to oblige.

I massaged his sides as we fell into a pleasurable rhythm. With each stroke, I came close to release and now was becoming more aggressive and definitely more needy. A needy Emmett was hot too. Fucking yes! He met me each stroke and my balls slapped hard against his ass. I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him upright. The change in orientation gave us both a different feeling and even more pleasure. I snaked one arm around is chest and another to his steel hard cock.

"Are you read for me, baby?" I growled in his ear. I may be shorter than him, but the way we were situated made me tower over him. He grunted as if words were too difficult to utter now. Good enough for me.

I stroked his cock hard and furious. His ass clenched onto my aching cock, which pushed me to fuck harder into him. Our climax came on hard and fast. He grunted again and came all over my hand. His ass turned into a vice grip, and I yelled his name as I came hard and deep. We quivered together as we came down from our high. I rubbed my cum-filled hand on Emmett's abs and it made me get hard again. He growled and pushed himself back and forth on my length.

We fucked again then.

…

"So you liked it?" I asked, having fucked Emmett for the third time. I pulled out of him and we laid side-by-side, staring the ceiling. I was utterly content.

He rolled over onto his stomach and ground his hips into the destroyed comforter. He craved more friction. "Yeah, I liked it. A lot," he whispered, his voice muffled by the torn fabric.

I glanced over at the clock and noticed that it was half past midnight. The party started hours ago. "Come on, bottom bitch," I slapped Emmett's ass with a loud, resonating crack, "We got a party to go to!" I hopped out of bed and was halfway across to the bathroom, when a solid piece of male tail threw me against a wall. His body was held plush against my own, and I hardened instantaneously.

"I am nobody's bottom bitch," Emmett roared in my ear. He bit my neck and my eyes slammed shut in pain _and pleasure_. Damn, were we turning into masochists? I grabbed his hips and pushed him away from me, a sly smirk was plastered across his face. He was challenging me.

I pulled him into the bathroom and ran a scolding hot shower for two. As I soaped up his back, I grabbed onto his length and pulled it and him against my own length. I whispered harshly, "One—_you are my_ _bottom_ _bitch_." I stroked his cock to remind him of this fact. He didn't protest and even pushed his ass against me.

I slunk around him and hopped up into his strong arms. Straddling him, I ground my hips. "Two—I am your bottom bitch," I said with a smile. "Sometimes."

He shook his head and laughed. God, I loved this man.

Minutes later, Emmett and I were ready to go. I had dawned on a comfortable pair of white wash jeans, which Alice hadn't gotten her hands on and thrown away, along with simple navy sweater. My Carhart boots and North Face jacket would give me the warmth that I appeared to need. Emmett waltzed out of our closet in piercing black jeans, a white tank covered by a long-sleeved flannel plaid shirt. Damn, I loved him in flannel _and plaid_. Emmett feels and looks too good in it.

"Ready?" he asked.

I pointed towards the window and opened it up with a flick of my wrist. "I can't take anymore of Esme's judgment." We hopped out the window and landed just passed the wraparound porch. From behind me, I heard Esme's sigh. Shit. Emmett grabbed my hand as I turned to meet Esme's judgmental gaze. Carlisle was seated next to her on a wicker loveseat. They both didn't like the illegality of underage drinking that we would surround ourselves with tonight.

"You know," Emmett rationalized. "If it's, um, any consolation, we'll make sure nobody drives drunk tonight."

They said nothing. Whatever. I pulled on Emmett's hand and walked around the house towards the barn. From there it was a short run to the other side of the island. We followed the forest until it hit some cliffs overlooking one of the many bays. The scent of burning cedar, stale beer, and sloshed humans wafted in the air. Yep, we were here. We pulled back some bushes and found ourselves in the center of the party.

Three large bonfires illuminated the debauchery. Someone had hooked up a sound system to a generator and it was blasting good beats. I felt the urge to dance, but thought it better to check in with Seth. As we searched around the party I took in the sights. Al was dancing with a group of people I didn't know. Others from Crew were shot-gunning beers to see who could get through a six-pack fastest. Finally, I came upon Brianna who was puking her life away.

"Vodka doesn't sit well with her," Seth commented from behind. As I turned to meet him, he gave me a fist bump, and handed Brianna a water bottle.

"Fuck that shit!" she screamed.

"The water?" I asked.

"No!" She wretched again. "Booze! I'm never drinking again!"

Al wobbled over and through an arm around me. "Yeah," she slurred her words. "Tonight was Brianna's first night of drinking of everrrrr."

"One shot led to this," Seth finished.

Brianna started to puke again. "Yuck!"

"Will you be okay?" I asked, the memory of Emmett's promise to Esme and Carlisle about drunk driving blasting across my consciousness.

Brianna composed herself and rolled her eyes. "Yeah… I really had only one shot and its… Yeah, it's on the ground right there." I chose not to look.

Emmett guffawed. I joined in, but stopped suddenly when Seth's gaze caught my own. "What?" I asked.

Seth gave me a knowing look. He was saying, "I know what you and Emmett were doing."

I punched him in the arm, fracturing his humerus. Fitting for the funny boy!

"Fucking A!" he yelled. "What was that for?"

I pointed my finger. "You know!"

"Being typical high school teenagers?" Seth suggested, rubbing his arm. "Like—sports, sex, and partying?"

Emmett nodded. "Sounds about right."

*****A/N: The phrase "catching a crab" is crew-speak for losing control of your oar after you take a stroke and the oar whips back at you with surprising force. In most instances, you have to swing under the oar or you'll flip the shell. I recommend you search the phrase on the Internet to get a better picture. They can be pretty hilarious to witness. When you catch one yourself, it sucks majorly.


	9. Ch 9: Choices

A/N: I'm sorry for all the fluff in prior chapters. Too often I find myself writing about what happens in a "normal" day rather then moving the story along. I'm going to try to move the story forward now. I hope you enjoy. Comments are always appreciated.

…

"Dude, the beer's gettin' warm!" yelled a partygoer. His name was Jackson and he was 300 pounds of solid defensive tackle—a nice enough guy, but a real hot head when someone messed with his beer, clearly.

Emmett caught my eye and I knew what I had to do. I waltzed over to the keg and offered to take a look at it. Jackson was so inebriated that he wouldn't notice what I was about to do. My granite finger "tinked" the metal keg and frost shot out like a wave. "Try it now," I offered.

Jackson dumped his beer at my feet (the asshole) and refilled his red Solo party cup. After chugging it, and another, he gave me a big swat across the back. I pretended to be thrown off balance. "Thanks, dude!" He lumbered towards the bonfire. I had an afterthought to make sure he didn't fall into it, but decided that the lug probably would smother it out before he really got burned. Well, not really.

While I was observing Jackson, Emmett snuck behind me and slid his hands around to my front. He whispered, "I'm getting tired. You wanna head home?"

"Turning into quite the bottom bitch, aren't we Emmett?" Seth whispered from across the party. My mouth about hit the ground.

_Please don't kill my best friend, please don't kill my best friend, please don't kill my best friend_, I chanted in my head.

"Getting more than you, pup! How long has it been?" Emmett growled. "Ah, yes… never." I sighed to myself. Low blow, Emmett.

"Cops!" Jackson yelled. My peripheral vision caught the red and blue flashes of a policeman's car. I would've reacted to their scents earlier too if Emmett hadn't been distracting me.

"I'm getting tired too, Em," I whispered.

"Right!" he replied.

I surveyed the partygoers, most of whom were scattering into the woods. I caught each of my family heading into the woods themselves. Behind a bush, I heard Jake whine as he was forced to hop onto Ness's back. She was as fast as her father and it wasn't like Jake could just phase in the middle of a party. Better to see a blur than a seven foot russet wolf, right?!

"Better find, Seth," I suggested. I had lost sight of him so Emmett and I split up to cover more ground. Seth's scent told me he was nearby, but I was having difficulty with all the other human scents—difficulty in that I needed to avoid slaughtering any of them.

"Found him!" boomed Emmett who was near the farthest bonfire. I stole a glance in his direction and saw that Seth was piss drunk. He probably downed a whole keg himself. Drunk ass.

"I'll cover you," I whispered. Emmett nodded. By now most everyone had scattered into the woods, but there were still a few drunkards lumbering about, trying to find keys or hide evidence. The police had stopped on the other side of the ridge and were making there way on foot. From the sound of the foot stomps, there must be a half dozen running this way. We had fifteen seconds before we were discovered.

Emmett pulled Seth onto his back, none too gently, and they made their way toward the tree line. I surveyed my surroundings again and found that no one was looking in my direction. I hopped high into a fir tree and hid behind its voluminous branches. As the police came around the ridge, I lifted a bottle of Everclear with my mind and threw it into the nearest bonfire. It exploded with a fury and threw the police off for the one second Emmett would need to make his escape.

There were only six people remaining on the ground and they were all so drunk that they couldn't move. The police were scouring the party site for more teenagers to slap with MIP's. One cop, an obviously smart one, held his flashlight into the trees, looking for, well… me. Shit.

I hopped down from the tree as the cop's light flashed over me. "Hey you!" he yelled, but I was already behind him. I tapped his shoulder and he whipped around. I dodged his glance with ease and slid behind him again with a flurry of wind. I tapped his shoulder again. This time, the cop spun around and drew his gun. Yeah, it probably wasn't good to play with him any longer. I ran at a human's pace toward the tree line and grabbed a ball cap off one of the passed-out kids. He wouldn't need it where he was going, poor bastard. I pulled the cap over my head and lowered the brim to cover my face as best as I could.

"Hey! Stop!" the cop yelled. "You are under arrest."

I couldn't withhold my laughter. _Bitch, please!_ I stepped into the woods and two of the cops ran after me. I thought about toying with the cops a little more, but decided better of it. Carlisle would skin my granite hide if he knew about the shoulder tapping. A hundred feet away from the partygoers, I was at the cliff face hovering above the bay fifty feet below. The moon was awfully pretty tonight.

I heard some more shouts and the pattering of three heartbeats getting ever closer. Three?

"Time for a dip," I whispered to myself and I somersaulted into the surf. I focused my mind around my body and created a tiny air pocket in which I could move. I didn't exactly feel like getting wet despite the fact the temperature wouldn't bother me if I did.

I held myself just under the surf and saw the two cops take turns looking over the side into a blank nothingness. God, I loved being a vampire.

Where was that third heartbeat though? I let my head pierce the waves to get a better look at the cliff face. Maybe I could spot him.

I scanned the rock face for any signs of life. None.

I started down the coast towards home, however I didn't get far. Just around an inlet, I peered back at where the party had been. Someone was clinging to the rock face and the two police officers were just above her. The police hadn't noticed her because of the way the cliff face was angled, but the weight the police were putting on it was causing it to erode away.

If that kid wasn't careful, he had a fifty-foot drop to a very rocky and very shallow shoal below.

Fuck.

I heard a scream and as I arrived at the rocks, a human body slammed into the shallow surf with an unnerving splash and thunk. Rocks.

I risked a glance above, but the cops were gone. They never heard the scream, the crashing waves were too loud.

"Logan?" I heard a voice croak.

The scent of blood pulled me in the direction of the voice. I saw a head bobbing in the water and an arm attached to a outcropping of rock. She was holding on for dear life.

"Allison?!" I yelled as I pulled her to my side. She was limp and broken. Her heartbeat was slow and her body temperature was far below what it should've been. I had to do something.

Minutes later I pulled Al from the surf near our house. I yelled for Emmett, for Carlisle, for anyone. The scent of blood drew everyone. I'm sure they feared I had slipped up. I could never slip up with Allison. She was too pure of heart.

"Where's Carlisle?" I yelled noting his absence.

"Night shift," Esme whispered. "I'll call him. Bring Allison up to the boat house and get her warm!"

I nodded and lifted Al up slowly and gently. Even so, she screamed in agony, the sound pierced my ears and my soul. This poor girl.

As I laid her on one of the guest beds, I cranked the heat in the room and snapped my fingers towards the fireplace. A fireball erupted and the room began to warm quickly. Not quick enough. I yelled for Seth and moments later he came into the room.

"Strip!" I yelled.

Seth looked unsure of himself. I was momentarily unsure of my choice of him, but I concluded that he wasn't drunk anymore. Chop yet another one up to impeccable wolf metabolism.

"Survival 101, we have to get her body temperature up," I instructed.

Seth nodded and ripped his clothes off. He climbed into bed with Al and held her as gently as he could. She yelled in agony again. This time her pain was so intense she passed out.

"She can't lose consciousness," Edward advised as he came into the room with a box full of medical supplies. He took a stethoscope from the box and began hearing for Al's heartbeat. I thought it unnecessary, I knew what her heartbeat was and wasn't. It wasn't good. I guess the stethoscope made Edward's hearing even more precise?

"Carlisle is going to get here as fast as he can," Edward said. "He was in the middle of a surgery."

"Edward, can I look at her internal injuries and show you so… at least so we can get some sort of sense of what's going on?" I asked frantically. I didn't want to lose my one human friend. Not like this. Death by old age was ideal.

Edward nodded. "Keep it silent though."

I knew what Edward was saying. Shit. Why did I bring her here? I'm risking exposure. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Calm down!" Edward commanded. "We'll figure this out."

I nodded. I scanned over Al's crumpled frame and let my vision pierce her skin. Edward read over what I was seeing. I didn't have to be a Doctor to know what I was seeing though.

"We could change her," Seth suggested. "I mean… it's preferable to death."

I was frankly shocked that Seth, a nonvampire, would suggest that. It seemed obvious, really. But it wasn't planned, it wasn't thought out, it wasn't discussed with the family. Edward looked unsure of the answer too.

"Would she survive the transition?" I asked Edward.

He gritted his teeth. "I've seen the power of venom." He was right. Bella practically came back from the dead after all.

"It has to be her choice!" Rosalie yelled. When did she come in?

Emmett walked into the room too and sat on the bed nearest me. He kissed my forehead. He nodded.

I shook Al. It was useless. She was unconscious, probably entering a coma for all I knew. Shit. "She's not waking up."

Edward got a vial out of his medical supplies and fitted it to an old style syringe. He injected the medicine into Al's arm. "Stimulant," he said. "Would wake a hibernating bear."

Nothing.

Shit.

"Fuck it," I growled. I bent down to Al's face. Her jaw was fractured in three places and her neck was sitting at an uncomfortable angle. "Wake up, Al. Please!" I whispered in her ear. "Please."

Nothing.

Shit.

I glanced at Emmett. His eyes were hard as stone. He blinked once and I knew he agreed with my choice. I knelt at Al's neck and found her sweet spot, it pulsed with the life force that was draining away slowly.

"Pull me away if I can't, you know… stop," I commanded to Emmett behind me. Seth peeled himself away from Al.

I was about to pierce Al's skin when Rose flashed unnervingly close to me. "No! You can't just do it without her permission!"

I had had enough of Rose's annoying high-mighty speeches, and clearly Emmett did too because when Rose grabbed my head to tear it away from Al's neck, Emmett drop kicked her through the brick wall across the room and into the water. Rose did not return like I thought she would.

Emmett turned to me and roared. "Do it, already!"

I breached the skin of my friend and ended her life.


	10. Ch 10: The Sire Card

Long ago, I honed my ability so that I could change the flavor of animal blood to that of a human. So biting Al wasn't a problem. My problem was that I was a glutton since my ability was fueled by my consumption. The conscious effort required not to drink Al's blood was utterly painful. Thankfully for me, I had Emmett coaxing me to remain steadfast and not drink my friend dry. I didn't show my appreciation to him well though. I growled at him, my predatory sense was that powerful. Treating Emmett like that put me in a dark place. Emmett was the light in my life after all.

I didn't swallow the blood and instead produced as much venom as I could. I felt the cold, viscous fluid mingle with Al's blood before it made its way into the artery and towards Al's heart. One bite was all that was needed, but I hit her wrists and ankles for good measure. At first, I didn't think that it was going to work. I knew the venom was beginning to circulate, I could literally see it, but it was too slow. It was like gunky sludge making its way through gummed up pipes, Al's broken body. But the more it traversed, the faster it went. The blood was consumed and turned to more venom. The process was exponential.

Suddenly, Al's piercing scream breached the silence in the room. It was awful. I didn't need Jasper's ability to feel her pain and anguish. The transition is hard on everyone.

Al cried out, "I'm on fire!"

I knew nothing we could do or offer her that would comfort her. A few years ago, Bella had confessed that the morphine used in her transformation only made things worse. So instead, I held my friend's hand and told her what she was becoming. She didn't protest or disagree with me at all. I suppose when your going through the hell, you'll believe anything if only to focus on something that wasn't the hell. She yelled for me to stop it, to make it go away, to end her. I ignored her pleas because I knew I would've said anything to have made the transition stop. I still tremble when I think about my own change.

Silently, I made her a promise though. If she didn't like what she would become, I would help her end it. Thankfully, Edward wasn't around to catch that, but regardless, it was a promise I would offer to Al when she had the ability to make a rational choice. How rational was suicide though? I guess I just didn't want her to hate me. I did make the choice _for her_.

I didn't leave Al's side during her transition. Seth didn't leave either. He may have had an awkward relationship with this person, but I could tell he cared for her. She was the first human to really befriend us. She wasn't fazed by our weirdness and our beauty didn't bedazzle her. That was refreshing to say the least.

While I held Al's hand, Emmett would come to check in on me. Slowly, cautiously, he would rub my back, clearly unsure of what he could say to me. That man was my rock though. I was lucky to have him. I guess I would have to remind him of that when the situation calmed down.

As three days passed and the venom worked itself across Al's body, I took the time to really survey the transition. Her spine was fractured, her hip destroyed, and the internal bleeding would have killed her within an hour. Carlisle gave me that last bit of information and it gave me some solace. When I bit her, I wasn't fully sure she would die from her injuries if I didn't act. I didn't want to be _her_ killer. So I guess I had to settle for sire. It is hard to call venom magically. Yes, it did reset her spine and hip, and stopped the bleeding, but the pain… The pain—both mental and physical was so immense that to characterize venom as magical was plain ironic.

Slowly, Al's body transformed. The most sickening sounds were when her bones reset themselves—a sickening crack reverberated in the room ever time. Most of her body was bruised from the fall, but it was changing to the ever-familiar porcelain granite. Her normal scent returned, but heightened. She smelled sweet like all vampires do. Seth had to excuse himself to get a fresh breath of air a few times. He was used to us, but a new vampire meant a new scent to avoid puking over. Al's hair had always been beautiful, she always took hygiene and beauty to the next level, but now it was an immaculate blonde rivaling even Rosalie. Rosalie. Ah, fuck.

She hadn't talked to me in three days. She would come in to check on Al periodically, but never muttered a word. The silence was ominous. It didn't help matters that there was a Rosalie-sized hole in the wall that nobody repaired. It was probably that everyone was ignoring it like the elephant in the room.

What was Rose's problem?

When Al didn't show up at home after the party, her parents filed a missing person's report. It didn't take long for the police to track down her last known location and the local K9 unit found her coat, torn and blood-stained, wrapped around the rocks where she landed. The police concluded that no one could've survived the fall and that with the tide must have carried her body out to sea. The police report was issued yesterday. It was perfect cover for us, but Al would still have to cope with the fact she could never return home again. She was effectively dead to her family, and had to remain so for her family's safety. Al would be a bloodthirsty newborn, and soon.

Her heartbeat slowed to a putter and then was silent. The transition was complete and Al's whimpering went silent as well. She was still as a statue and I had to actively remind myself that she wasn't dead—at least based on my definition at least.

Carlisle entered the room trailed by the rest of the family. I fell in line behind him, but vigilant as to the need for my talent. A vampire couldn't run or punch, or do anything for that matter when they can't use the ground push off, or reach an object or person.

"Allison," Carlisle called quietly. "Open your eyes, sweetheart."

A shrill snarl escaped her mouth and I knew it wasn't good. Her eyes flashed open. They were blood red and angry. Before Carlisle could stop her, she pile drove him through the brick wall opposite the first hole Rose created. The boathouse couldn't handle the loss of support and came crashing down upon us. Frantic, I pulled myself from the rubble and surveyed the damage looking for Emmett. I had to make sure he was all right. I mean, I knew such was a mistake because Emmett was Emmett. But still, it was Emmett.

Meanwhile, Al was trying to get her hands around Carlisle. If she did, she could rip him a new asshole, literally. I flashed before to her and tried to reason with her. My voice didn't calm her and she charged at me instead. "Nope!" I yelled, doing a reverse somersault and catching her frame with the feet flipping her back into the debris. It took her a fraction of a second to hiss and high tail it towards my throat. I lifted her with my mind and held her there, immobile. She only became more enraged. "Allison, please!" I pleaded. "Focus on the sound of my voice. You know it. You know me. Breath."

"What's her problem?" Seth asked, dusting debris from his torn shirt.

"I can relate," Bella pointed out. "She's thinking too fast. There is too much stimuli. Keep going, Logan. She seemed to react to your voice."

Taking Bella's encouragement, I repeated myself to Al. "You know me. I'm your friend. I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you. Breath in… And out… I'm going to let you down now. Just remain calm and we'll sort this all out."

Al's eyes fell to the ground as her toes hit too. She stopped breathing. It wasn't necessary function so it wasn't automatic. We would have to work on that.

"Allison?" Esme crooned. "It will be okay, honey."

"Mighty fine mess you got us into, aye, Logan?" Seth joked. Any humor in the situation was lost however when Al caught sight of Seth. He had a gash on his wrist and it was oozing blood. It smelled rancid to me, the wolf thing and all, but to Al, who didn't know any better, reacted like a typical newborn. Her eyes were mesmerized by the dripping liquid. Briefly though, almost cautiously, she met Seth's eyes.

A long, hard moment ensued, ended only by Seth dropping to his knees, his mouth agape. He kept Al's gaze and matched it with his own.

I knew that look.

Al was a blur, aiming for Seth's jugular vein.

Seth didn't react. Seth didn't phase. Seth didn't want to hurt his imprint, even to defend himself.

Thankfully, Edward clotheslined Al. She did a somersault of her own and Bella and Edward moved to restrain her. It was only after Emmett locked a vice grip around her waist did it appear that Al was contained.

She growled, the bloodlust overtaking any rationality or conscious thought. Or was it another type of lust?

Seth rose from his feet and approached. I cut him off. "What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"Get out of my way. Can't you see she's in pain?" Seth didn't even make eye contact with me. He kept it on Al's blood red eyes.

"She's in pain now because she's thirsty. Imprinting only magnified it. You're bleeding anyways. That's what's hurting her!" Alice said.

I grabbed at Seth's arm and wretched it into his field of vision. The blood was the color of Al's eyes. Seth relaxed a smidgen.

"Let me take her hunting first, then we can deal with… this," Carlisle suggested.

Seth nodded once.

"Logan, there are too many people on the island. We have to take her north. Do you think you can keep her controlled?" Carlisle asked.

"We're going to have to go pretty far north," Emmett added, struggling to hold onto Al.

"If Emmett's going, I'm totally going!" Seth said.

"I do not believe that is a good idea, son," Carlisle replied. "You are too much of a distraction now. Besides, she could go after you."

I nodded in agreement.

Seth turned abruptly and phased.

"I'll keep him occupied," Jake yelled following Seth into the woods.

Emmett and Carlisle held Al by each arm, but even so, she was stronger than both of the men combined. I followed the three as backup as we traversed into the interior of Maine. There would be plentiful game up here and a lesser chance of running into a human. Al didn't need murder on her conscious, unless she chose to however. I may be a Cullen now, but I would never force anyone into a life choice of drinking animals over humans, or vice versa. That was an individual choice, but one that is harder to make after you have tasted human blood. Jasper was the pinnacle example of this reality. This way, by having Al taste animal blood first, she could learn to handle the bitter stuff before she decided that the sweet, human elixir was more her style.

We were deep in the forest now and the wildlife was bountiful. "What's going on, Logan?" Al asked. "What is all this?"

"We can talk about it once you have hunted," Carlisle interjected. "Just close your eyes and let your other senses take over."

Confusion was plastered across her face, but she did as Carlisle suggested.

Carlisle rubbed his hands together. "What do you hear?"

"Heartbeats. Many of them," Al growled. She wasn't angry with Carlisle. It was just the hunt taking over her for the first time. We always remember our first time. For me, I had two first times. One human. One animal.

"Okay," Carlisle whispered. "Now let your senses take over your body, let them tell your body where to go. Your instincts will carry you the way. Enjoy the hunt."

Al's eyes flashed open wildly. They caught my own for a millisecond before she jumped high over Emmett and I. She landed with a graceful thud and flashed through the woods at impeccable speed.

"She might give Eddieboy a run for his money," Emmett quipped, jostling a backpack to his other shoulder.

_Where did he get that_? I wondered.

"I am going to follow close to Allison," Carlisle informed. "You boys keep distant. You know what the first kill is like. The first feed."

"Yuck," I commented.

Emmett gagged. "Yeah, she'll be pissed." He laughed.

"I was going to say disconcerting," Carlisle interjected. Her senses are going to tell her animal blood is all wrong and she probably will not take the presence of three vampires well. One will have to suffice to explain it to here. "But yes, Logan should have to deal with this."

Bam. Guilt hit my stomach. Was Carlisle being serious? Is this my problem—alone?

Carlisle laughed lightly. "Loosen up, son." He slapped my back. "She would be dead had you not acted. Take some happiness in that."

I guess.

Carlisle took off in the direction Al had gone. Emmett and I followed at a slower pace. The forest parted for a small creek running downward towards a pond. A flock of geese was taking off, clearly spooked by our presence. I found Al's glamorous blond hair beaming around the pond.

"I hope she's not aiming for the birds," Emmett said, wrapping his hands around my waist from behind. "Double yuck."

"Don't have a penchant for waterfowl?" I asked rhetorically. The image of Emmett drinking duck's blood after losing a bet with Jasper years ago made me chuckle. "Ouch!" I yelped.

Emmett removed his fingers that had conveniently jabbed them into my sides. "I know exactly what your thinking, Logan Cullen. Not fucking funny."

"Mmmmmm," I replied, pushing my ass into the front of Emmett's sandblasted chino pants.

Emmett growled harshly into my ear and I shuddered at the raw power he threatened to unleash on me. To my surprise however, Emmett pulled away from me and started to rummage through his backpack.

I returned my gaze to Al. She was stalking something, and thankfully it wasn't a bird. I tasted the air and caught the scent of an elk. "Big prize, Al. Go for it," I said to myself. In a whirl, she hopped clear across the pond and onto the back of the largest male elk I had ever seen. He had been feeding in the weeds, safely obscured from vision of most predators. Most, but not all.

With the grace of a ballerina, Al threw the beast, who had to weigh more than a car, over her head and out of the water. With a little coaching from Carlisle, Al found the elk's jugular vein and bit through the skin easily. I cringed when the beast stomped Al in the face several times, but the sound of granite reminded me that Al was a hell of a lot sturdier now. The beast quieted then, realizing its end was drawing near.

I diverted my attention back to Emmett who was holding out a fresh set of clothes to me.

"You've been in your party wear for three days," he said. "I just thought you would like something fresh. I mean you smell great and I know you're not dirty, but Alice gave this to me and all." I looked at my attire. It was caked with dried, dead blood, and torn in places where I too got caught in the rocks trying to pull Al free as best I could. Emmett always knew what I needed, even if Alice was the one who packed the bag for him.

I changed in a flash. Now, I had a long sleeved white shirt with a navy crew over it, light wash blue jeans, and carpenter boots. Handing my bloodied, torn clothes back to Emmett, he put them into the back pack, all whilst staring at my form.

"You look good in navy," Emmett said as he kissed me passionately. "Anything blue makes your eyes, well, fucking sexy." Eloquent, Em. But I would take it. Emmett is crass, but I would take it any day. Any fucking day.

Al stalked about the forest again, having drained her elk dry. She gagged only a little bit on the beast and was eager to find more blood. She was a newborn and their appetite would unceasing. We followed her while she was on the trail of another animal, a deer herd. She slaughtered each one of them and drank them dry. We would have to educate her on selective hunting—aim for the sick, old, and male. Leave the females and a _few_ males for reproduction, and definitely the kids. Evolution of the species and all. Right now though, Al's _first_ hunting trip, it was basic, primal, where the sole goal was satiation.

While we waited for Al to get her fill, Emmett dropped his backpack to the ground and I asked there was anything other then my blood-stained clothes. He said no and I flicked my fingers, causing a flame to erupt. As the flames consumed my clothes—the evidence of a human's demise—Emmett joked that they should make hiking packs flame retardant.

"Or at least Logan-proof," Carlisle joked. Both he and Al joined us at our impromptu bonfire.

"Feeling better, Al?" I asked.

She gulped. There would be an ever-present fire in her throat now, a constant reminder of the thirst that would be her companion into eternity.

"Look, I know you have a lot of questions. And I'm prepared to answer them…" I started. I wanted Al to know she would be all right. I wanted her to know that I would stand by her. I would be here for her.

"You lied to me!" she roared, wrapping her slender fingers around my throat. She was that fucking fast. "I get it. I do. But what the hell!?"

I could say nothing but gag. But my eyes did contact with the burning backpack that was uncomfortably close to my very flammable head. Al's grip could easily detach my head. Uh…

"Back away, Allison." Emmett spoke gritted teeth and put his burly hand on Al's wrist. If he weren't careful, newborn Allison would rip his hand off, which would probably rip my head off. Fuck.

I glanced at the flames again. They were crackling ominously close to our "interaction." Carlisle knew of the danger to and tried to defuse the situation. "Emmett, son," Carlisle said quietly. "It will be okay. Logan will be okay. Just remove your hand from Allison's."

"Carlisle!" he roared. His face said it all though. Angry Emmett is a scary thing, and we were talking about my head.

"As much as your love for me fills," I gurgled over Al's vicegrip, "me with warmthhhh, Em, the warmth of that fire below me is a fucking scary proposition."

Emmett noticed our predicament. He lifted his hand from Al's and backed a step away, his hands above his head. It was like Charlie Swan was about to arrest him. It would've been comical had the situation been different.

"Al, listen to me," I started, struggling to breath and thereby talk. "I did not lie to you. There are rules you see. Rules that I must abide by; rules that you must abide by now too. It's either that or death. The human world can't know about our existence. Vampires do not exist. I didn't lie to you. I protected you."

Al didn't move a finger, but she did respond orally. A loud, unnerving hiss.

Son of a bitch!

I glanced downward and found the flames of this fire spreading in the dry underbrush. I could've snuffed it out with my ability, but that required concentration and I was already fighting my basic instinct of self-preservation as in ripping Al's head off and saving my own skin.

Double son of a bitch!

"Listen to him," I heard a familiar voice say. As if a light switch had been flipped, Al released her grip on my throat and I flitted away from her. Emmett was in front of me a moment latter crouched low to the ground to protect his mate.

Suddenly, Seth appeared out of the underbrush, doing a haphazard job at holding his shorts up.

_Thanks for prioritizing me over your pants, buddy!_ Killing my bonfire with my ability.

Al fell into a defensive crouch and hissed, and Emmett growled back.

"Em…" I put my hand on his shoulder. It was tense and bristling in anticipation. "She's not hissing at you. Look…" I pointed in the direction Al was facing. Seth's direction.

I cautioned Seth with a wave. "Back off!" I turned to Al and sighed. "Al, everything will be alright. I'll answer any question you have, but you need to relax. No one will hurt you. We are here for you. Only you."

Al was fighting with her newfound nature, sentience versus beast. Her nature, like her thirst, would be a companion as well. The key to it all was to strike a balance. Such would take years, but years she had. As did I.

After a few tense moments, Al rose. "I'm," she hesitated, clearling fighting back the urge to fight. Or was it run? She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry for attacking you, Logan. I just have all these, I don't know, feelings and urges, you know?"

"Like you want to rip someone's head off?" Seth asked with a smile.

"I wasn't aware you knew what a newborn felt," I commented.

He laughed. "Are you kidding? On Bella's first day, she nearly ripped my arm off when she found out Jake imprinted on Ness. Yeah, I know."

"Imprint?" Al asked suddenly. "Imprint?"

Nobody muttered a word. Imprint had quickly become the elephant trampling through the northern Maine forest. I glanced at Seth and he didn't seem to want to discuss the subject either. Perhaps it was because he knew that Al had enough to deal with right now. Imprintors always knew what their imprintees needed and acted accordingly.

"Have you had enough to drink?" Carlisle asked, changing the subject.

Al clawed at her throat like a thirsty man in the desert. She grimaced and cocked her head sideways. She nodded then.

"Good, Allison," Carlisle commented. "You pushed the thirst from your mind. That is a good step."

Al shook her head. "It's not easy."

"It'll always be there," Emmett admitted. "Accept that. Then it's easier to deal with the thirst."

I slunk my hand around his torso and pulled him into my side, nice and tight. _So right you are, Emmett._

"We should head home then." Carlisle turned and Emmett, Seth, and I turned as well. Al didn't.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Al swallowed hard. "I can't go home, can I?"

"Al…"

"DON'T AL ME, LOGAN CULLEN!" she snarled. "IF THAT IS YOUR REAL NAME!"

Shit. Her emotions were all over the place. Yeah, they were heightened, but she was giving me whiplash now. I let go of Emmett and walked over to Al, creating a dividing line. "I'm pulling the Sire Card. You three go. Go now. This conversation is for Allison and I alone."

Seth eyed me suspiciously and I knew he already searching for a way to stay.

Carlisle looked to both Al and I. "We look forward to your return, both of you. Seth, Emmett, we should head back." Our leader had spoken so Emmett disappeared into the forest, as did Seth. He was a little bit more reluctant to go, but once he phased, he disappeared as well. Carlisle gave me a quick nod and was gone as well.

I walked over to log that had fallen horizontal decades to go, planting a seat atop it. Al was still standing in her place, stiff as a statue.

Eventually, she turned and took a seat next to me. "You never call me Allison," she observed.

"You're my friend. You're my Al. Simple as that." And it was.

"I like that," she said with a smile.

After another long pause, I decided it was time to get to it. "Well, what do you want to know?"

Al jerked her head in my direction. Her eyes were a fiery red. Anticipation colored every syllable when she said, "Everything."

Everything, aye? I guess I needed to start at the beginning. My beginning. My first life. And I did. I told her about my human life, as short as it was. My transformation. My ability. How I met Emmett. How Bella came into our lives and how it was forever changed. I told her about James and Victoria, and the space in between including the tribe and its wolves. I told her about the Jake-Bella-Edward pain fest and all the things that happened leading to today. She seemed to keep pace with me quite well, but what with her vampire-enhanced mind, that was to be expected.

But when I told Al about the Volturi Guard and our history with them, panic shot across her face. I did my best to assuage any fears she had reminding myself yet again that all her emotions were heightened.

"But won't they come back? It sounds like you guys totally owned them." Al wasn't completely off base with her comment.

I grinned. "Revenge is a powerful thing."

"What?"

"Uh… It's nothing."

Al gave me the biggest pouty lip I had ever seen and I helped raise Ness Cullen!

"I almost killed a human because he smashed rotten eggs in my house."

Al was incredulous. "You did what!?"

"Almost," I corrected. "The key word is almost."

"Still… Over eggs!?"

"Don't get high and mighty on me little girl! You're bound to rip some heads off in your life! Hell, you almost ripped mine off today!"

Al's eyes made every effort it could to avoid my righteous gaze.

"Mmmmmmm," I responded coolly.

"Wait…" Al eyed my suspiciously. "Little girl? Logan… How old are you?"


	11. Ch 11: Repercussions

_When Al didn't show up at home after the party, her parents filed a missing person's report. It didn't take long for the police to track down her last known location and the local K9 unit found her coat, torn and blood-stained, wrapped around the rocks where she landed. The police concluded that no one could've survived the fall and that with the tide must have carried her body out to sea. The police report was issued yesterday. It was perfect cover for us, but Al would still have to cope with the fact she could never return home again. She was effectively dead to her family, and had to remain so for her family's safety. Al would be a bloodthirsty newborn, and soon. _

Going back to school after all that had happened was more difficult than I thought it would be. I had prided myself in my acting abilities, to play human, exist nonchalantly in the shadows, that whole bit, but returning to this place after Al's death and knowing she was actually at my place was a heavy lie to carry.

Carlisle was insistent that we act as normal as possible. Thankfully, no one questioned our family's absence from school during Al's transition. The Administration reasonably believed all the Cullen children were taking Al's loss hard given that she was relatively close to some of us. Some of her other friends had missed some school as well, Hayley and Brianna included, so that helped matters for us too.

Driving the Mustang over to the school with Seth, there was utter silence.

"How are you doing, Seth?" I asked, pulling into the student parking lot.

Seth. He had imprinted and not only that, he had imprinted on a vampire. I about tore Edward and Carlisle a new last night when they didn't stop contemplating the whimsical implications of the imprint process on nonhumans. They were way too scientific and thus callous about the situation. Did I mention they forgot that Seth was in the room?

"Seth." I shook his shoulder. "Hello?"

He turned to me with a cloudy gaze in his eyes. "Yeah?"

"You're thinking about her." I knew that much. I would see it on Jake's face when he was thinking about Ness and vice versa. I suppose I looked like that too when I was thinking about Emmett. "How are you doing with all this? She still doesn't know after all."

"I'm good," Seth said flatly.

I regarded him suspiciously. "You're good? I would've thought you'd be going out of your mind with her not know how you feel about her. It's pretty powerful stuff. Like gelatin really…"

It was Seth's turn to eye me suspiciously.

Ugh. "I mean watching an imprintor and imprintee ogle over one another gets pretty thick, you know?"

"More than you will ever know." He tapped his temple. All yes, the pack's collective consciousness.

"You're sure you're alright?"

"What do you want me to say, Logan?" I watched Seth closely. "I'll be what she wants me to be. Right now, all she wants is blood. Blood. Blood. Definitely not love or any of that. And if she doesn't, that's find by me."

No love? "Going through life without a better half," I stopped short. "Don't tell Emmett I said that!" Seth nodded. I shook my head. "Going through life without a better half is awfully lonely. What's really going on in your wolfy head?"

Seth clucked his tongue. "I guess I'm just worried that she'll decide to change her palate to something I can't handle."

Bam. And there it was. I knew it was fear he had, but until now he hadn't said it out loud. "Blood?" I asked rhetorically.

"It's in my mind every waking minute. If she has a mistake or just wants to drink it it, I can't stop her. I don't want to…"

"Well, I don't mean to interrupt your little lovers' chat, wait scratch that… I do. Seth, she's dead or you gotta play it up like that. Stop pining over her for a couple hours. Get my drift dog?" Rose was standing at the hood of the Mustang, her arms crossed, and a fiery glare in her eyes. She rolled her eyes and headed towards the front door of the high school. For added measure she ran her finger across the entirety of my hood, drawing a deep gash across it.

Emmett had repainted my Mustang for our ninth anniversary.

"Bitch," I whispered, more to myself than for her to hear.

Seth went to pull the latch on the door. "She's still mad at you…"

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the reminder, Captain Obvious." Seth and I ducked through the hallways mostly unscathed. Nobody spoke to us, but they certainly stared a lot. I guess the shock at what had happened was still fresh here. It had only been four days since she "died" after all.

As we entered our Calculus class, I saw Hayley sitting at her seat, picking at her thumbnail forlornly. "Remember everyone, Al's dead…"

My voice was supernaturally quiet, but Seth's reaction didn't bode well for the wool we needed to pull over everyone's eyes. "She's not dead, Logan!" he roared, his heart stuttering. "Don't say that! She's not fucking dead!"

"MR. CULLEN!" our teacher gasped. "Take your seat!"

The room was silent. Seth knew what he did. And I knew why he did it.

"Sorry, Mr. Lancaster," Emmett began. "It's uh just, Seth's taking it pretty hard." The sincerity in Emmett's deep voice was palpable. He was a good liar.

Hayley rose from her seat and agreed. "We all are." She turned to Seth. "It'll be okay." In that moment, Hayley didn't appear to be that flighty teenager Seth said we met on the first day of school. Maybe something about Al's death made her grow up or something? Death had a way of doing that. It was sad. Al didn't die, but she was dead to _this_ world at least. And if we wanted to exist in _this_ world, we would have to pretend as best we could.

Seth carefully sat at his desk. His heartbeat steadied. "Sorry," he whispered.

"I know," I replied. "Me too."

The day was awful. During the morning announcements, Al's funeral arrangements were given. It would be this coming Friday with a Wake at the school the evening before. The rest of the day held a cold, damp feeling to it. It was like the loss of Allison Wellington caused a gigantic rain cloud to perpetually levitate above the school. The ebb and flow of emotion was too much for Jasper and by third period, he faked having the flu so he could go home. Al had undoubtedly left a mark on the island. Finally, the final bell rang and I made haste to get out to my car. As I passed by the Principal's Office, the principal herself pulled me into her office.

"Is there something wrong, Mrs. Adams?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Coraline Adams was a forty-year veteran of the public school systems. From the little else I knew of her, she was no-nonsense and upfront with both teachers and students alike. "If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one!" she said at a school assembly last week. "I will start by treating you like one." The school assembly was about "pizza cutters," a rather disgusting teenage prank started in some school in the Midwest. Allegedly, a person would run up to his or her victim and slid his or her hand between the victim's butt cheeks all while yelling "pizza cutter!" Apparently, that phrase was necessary to complete the prank. Gross. But that didn't stop Emmett from playing pizza cutter with our siblings for a day. Esme put a stop to that. Thank the Lord!

Mrs. Adam's cleared her throat and I pushed the memory of Emmett running his fingers in between Edward's cheeks out of my mind.

"No, there is nothing wrong, Mr. Cullen," Mrs. Adams said typing away at her computer. "Is there something you would like to discuss?" Was she trying to get me to confess? Her glare read, "I know you did something. Might as well confess now." Or maybe that was the glare she gave everyone. She was a veteran bloodhound when it came to student havoc and debauchery.

"No, Mrs. Adams, there is nothing wrong. I guess I just miss Allison." One part was the truth. The other was a lie. And somehow, I had to make them both work.

"Good to hear," she said with an empathetic smile. "I wanted to speak to you regarding Allison's funeral. I spoke to her parents earlier today and they indicated that they were in need of pallbearers. Allison's family is small and there aren't enough men to carry the casket."

"A casket?" I asked. _Uh… no body!_

"Yes, I am well aware there is no body, Mr. Cullen," Adams started again in a spat. Maybe she was Edward's distant cousin? "The Wellingtons are going to fill the casket with her most precious things—pictures, clothes, mementos—items of that nature." It all sounded sweet actually. "Would be willing to be a pallbearer? Mrs. Wellington said that Allison spoke fondly of you despite the short time you had known her."

I mean how could I say no to that? I promptly agreed to assist the Wellingtons and made my way out to the student parking lot. It was utterly deserted save my defiled Mustang. Apparently, everyone else felt the heavy cloud today too and wanted to clear out. The only thing that made it better was Emmett. He sat up against the hood with a careful smile plastered across his dimpled cheeks.

"That's a great thing you offered to do, babe." He pulled me into his arms and gave me his signature bear hug. My face hard pressed against his chest I inhaled sharply. I tried to let his sweet scent lift my spirits out of the dismal cloud that was swirling about.

"Where's Seth?" I asked. I guessed the answer before Emmett spoke, but Seth did ride with me into school this morning.

"Home. Wanted to go hunting with Allison. Them two plus Carlisle and Esme were going."

"Hmmmm," I replied.

I tried to catch Emmett's eye then, but he pretended to be uninterested in my face. I guess he found the tennis courts to be more interesting. Bitch, please.

"What is it?" I asked. Did someone see Al at our house? Oh my God… "Did Al kill someone?"

Emmett shook from my grasp and walked to the driver's side door. "No, nothing like that… Yet. Come on, let's get home."

I watched him suspiciously for a moment, but decided to let it go. I made my way over to the passenger door, but something caught my eye. An imperfection. _Another_ imperfection _actually_… in my Mustang. I glared at Emmett, but before he could stop me I was hovering over my now shattered, pummeled, and utterly destroyed headlight.

"If it's any consolation, babe," Emmett gulped. "She blew out her $900 stiletto doing it."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Emmett? A stiletto? Really?"

"It's a quick fix." Emmett hastened over to the headlight and me. "Look we can stop over in town and pick up a new one. It'll be as good as new."

I hissed. "It's not about the headlight and you know it! The bitch's going crazy! And I can't take her passive aggressive shit. If she has something to say, then why doesn't she just say it."

I knew Emmett was choosing his words carefully. He did this strange little dance when he was nervous. "You know, it's Rose. She'll come around."

I exhaled and rested my head on his chest with a resounding "tink." "Fuck it, let's go home."

Emmett gave me a double thumbs-up and before another word was said, we were on the highway towards town. Apparently, we were going to get a new headlight.

"Shit's getting real, isn't it?" Emmett asked, breaking the silence.

I glanced over at my mate. He had a goofy smile on his face. "Honestly, Em, I don't know what her problem is. I mean, I get it. I really do. Rose is pissed that I changed Al without her permission, but Carlisle said she would've died from her injuries."

"Carlisle isn't always right though," Emmett pointed out.

I shook my head as if trying to get a fly out of my ear. "Just give me this small point of solace. Thank you."

"What if she wanted to die, Logan? Did you think of that?" Emmett's voice reverberated in my head long after he finished speaking. His point was fair.

The promise I silently made to Al sprung into my consciousness front and center. Should I tell him? I hadn't told anyone. Shit. What about Seth?

"Look," I began. "I have to confess something to you. You have to promise not to tell anyone, and keep it out of your mind. Edward doesn't know either."

"I promise." Emmett glanced over at me, but he took my hand into his own to reassure me.

"During Al's transition, I told myself that if she didn't like the creature that she would become, that if she rather have died on those rocks, that I would end her life as it stood _now_."

Emmett's face was unreadable. "What about Seth?" His tone was tight and even.

I scratched my chin. "That complicates matters. But who would've thought he'd imprint on her!? A vampire!" I waited a moment before speaking again. I was trying to figure out what Emmett was thinking. "Em, tell me."

He gritted his teeth. "If someone offered that option to you and you took it, I couldn't… um…" Emmett's brow furled and his eyes slammed shut. Pain and loss showed through every smile line on his wondrous face.

He was still driving too.

"Emmett, don't think that. Please!" The thought of Emmett in pain was as unbearable to me as his thoughts of losing me were to him. I squeezed his hand and tried to coax a smile out of him. "Shit is getting real," I whispered.

He smiled weakly and regained control of the Mustang, having drifted a little over the centerline. He cleared his throat. "I do respect you though."

"How?" I asked.

"No matter all that has happened and all the repercussions you'd face, I know you well enough to know that you will still give the offer to Allison when the time comes. When you make a promise, you keep it through thick and thin." Emmett returned a squeeze to my hand and I reveled in it.

My reveling didn't last long because the sound of spinning metal pierced my ears. It was nonexistent a moment ago and was now increasing in volume exponentially.

"Uh?" Emmett watched the speedometer and hunched his shoulders. He was perplexed.

I wasn't. I knew my baby, my Mustang that is, well enough to know what the fuck was going on without having to see it too. I looked nonetheless. I pierced through the plastic and metal of the car with my ability and witnessed the problems—plural. Or should I say, "imperfection?" Yep. I had two _additional_ _imperfections_ to add to my list of car problems.

My voice was hoarse. "There are diamond-studded earrings sticking out of the tire treads of the front tires. Oh, and when I say, tires, there is an emphasis on the _both_ of them."

Emmett pulled off the road and got out. I did too, only I slammed the door closed so hard, the glass shattered. Before Emmett could even comment on the glass, I was knee deep in muck feeling the rims of my car. They were utterly destroyed. They'd have to be replaced. Why hadn't we noticed we were driving on rims before?

Heart to heart's with Emmett were most distracting, I guess.

"Um, I know these diamonds cost a fortune, so the joke is on…" My trembling features cut Emmett off.

Yep, I was done with _this_ bullshit. "Emmett," I thundered. "Don't tell me how you know the value of Rosalie's shit. I don't care. In fact…" I didn't finish that sentence. Instead, I backed away from my scratched, broken, and deflated car and threw the full weight of my ability onto it instead. Metal twisted and wires sparked as the vehicle that comfortably fit Emmett and I just seconds ago crumbled into a mass the size of a basketball.

"I'm surprised it didn't explode," Emmett commented nonchalantly, picking up the contorted ball and tossing it to me. "Feel better?"

I spun it on my finger like a Harlem Globetrotter would. "No. Not yet."

Emmett bit his cheek and squinted his left eye. "Uh?"

"Follow me," I commanded. With Emmett hot on my tail, I sped to the family garage. I noted the absence of my Mustang in its usual spot next to Rosalie's brand-new Volkswagen Beetle Supercharger. I clutched onto my metal remnants angrily as if it were a teddy bear or something. I probably looked comical.

Outstretched from beneath Edward's Aston Martin, was a pair of oil-stained boots, size fifteen. Jake.

"Where's Rosalie?" I asked gruffly. The door of the house slammed and she swaggered into the garage as if she had been there all day.

"I'm right here," she said sarcastically. "What's up!?" The smile plastered on her face ate at me. She knew that I knew she knew that she got me.

Jake pulled himself from beneath the Aston Martin and walked over to his workbench. A tiny portrait of Ness hung on the wall above it. "Look, Logan," he said cleaning his hand with a dirty towel. "Take your spat outside. Edward will kill me if I… What is that?" he asked finally raising his head to see me.

I spun my metal ball on my finger again and glared over at Rosalie.

"That," Emmett started cautiously, "is… um… Logan's Mustang." That caught everyone's attention because Jasper, Alice, Bella, Edward, and Ness appeared at the entrance to the garage in a flash. I guess Carlisle and Esme were still gone along with Al and Seth.

Alice, meanwhile, was bouncing up and down in excitement. Oh, geez.

Edward approached. "I do not that it is a good idea, brother." Bella, Jasper, and Ness were eying my Mustang, trying to discern if all the pieces were in fact there.

"What the hell are you two yammering about?" Rose spat.

Alice rocked back and forth in anticipation. She threw her forearm out to block Jasper from moving forward. "No. Wait."

I glanced over to the Beetle again and then at Rosalie. But over her shoulder was something even better… "Dodgeball," I whispered. I clutched the ball firmly in one hand, spun like a shot putter, and flung my Mustang right at Rose's face.

She dodged my projectile easily enough, but that was her mistake.

Rose was about to start towards me when a bright flash erupted in her peripheral vision. She spun on her heel and watched as a gigantic mushroom cloud of fire and heat erupted from her BMW M3. The one vehicle she had for as long as I had known her. The one vehicle that was _her_ pride and joy. The Beetle was to save from putting too many miles on the M3.

"You must have just gassed her up, aye? Were we thinking of going for a drive?" I asked making sure to throw in as much metaphorical venom as I could muster.

The explosion was bigger than I thought it would be and Emmett contemplated about the Mustang's own gas being compressed like in an air compressor. Regardless, it became clear that Rosalie's M3 was shattered, pummeled, and utterly destroyed. It had caved in on itself, right where my Mustang had landed, with perfected accuracy I might add. There was even a crater blown out from beneath the melted tires.

The sound that erupted from Rosalie's throat was nothing less than rabid. She crouched low to the ground and spread her fingers as if they were talons.

"Bring it, bitch!" I yelled posturing myself as well.

Rosalie was on me before I could react. She knew if I could concentrate, any hope she had of winning this would be over. I had to concentrate because I wasn't the best fighter. And I didn't want my family to see that.

She got her talons around my neck and flung me across the yard. I landed, hard, at the base of a large oak tree that sat at the end of the property. I lifted myself clear of the dirt and debris, but before I could find Rosalie, she was on me again. This time she kicked me in the stomach so hard, her stilettos disintegrated. Apparently, she had put on a fresh pair.

"What the fu…" I gasped for air. I didn't need it to live. I needed it to speak. "Is your prob…" Yep, I couldn't finish it. She found me again and clutched my shoulders, piercing my skin, simultaneously kicking at me. She had found perfect leverage in clamping down into my skin. Her legs were fucking dangerous.

I felt myself tearing, pain seeping from the cracks.

I heard my name then, in a low, feral tone followed by someone ripping me away from Rosalie's. I traveled across the yard again. This time I landed near the remains of the M3, cutting a Logan-size divot into the relatively new pavement. I shook my head furiously in a vain attempt to find clarity. What happened?

My eyes fell upon Rosalie and my instincts threatened to take over. _Why bother?_ I thought rationally. _She'd just owned me again._

Emmett raced away over to me. "Let's go," he said. He had his long arm around me, the other motioning toward the house.

Inside the safety of our bedroom, Emmett enveloped me with both arms now, a double layer of protection. He held me tight and rested his chin on my forehead. "Are you okay?"

I choked on a sob. Why was I being like this? _This is not me!_ I'm cool, calm, and collected. Not someone who gets his ass handed to him by his sister _even if she is a vampiric nut job!_ I shook from Emmett's grasp.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

He put his bear paws on my shoulders. "No. No you are not. Look." As if tearing tissue paper, Emmett pulled the remnants of my already-torn shirt off. The tears in my skin weren't healing. They were as deep and ghastly as they were painful.

"We need Carlisle," Emmett announced. He yelled for Edward, for Jasper, for anyone to get Carlisle here.

I stumbled over to the bed. Standing was getting too hard. I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets and noticed my hip had partially separated. I rubbed the gash through the fabric, hoping it would seal up. I was starting to feel sick, and for a vampire, that's unheard of. I had almost forgotten what it felt like. The sickness became a pain; one so blinding, I started to pant. Just keeping track of Emmett's location in the room was tiresome. "Emmett… um… I think I need to…"

Silence.


	12. Ch 12: Blood

For vampire, I remembered a lot about my human life, my first life. Carrying the pain of my first life with me through the change was another level of torture. It was something that still bit at my soul like a shark chomping hard on its prey. The shark was unforgiving and unyielding. For all that I remembered though, I didn't remember what it was like to sleep. Here, in this void, was this sleep? I thought I would've dreamt, but this was pure nothingness. An endless blackness.

I had to actively remember who I was and who I belonged to. Emmett.

"Yeah?" His deep voice surged through the void and I latched onto it, willing myself to the surface.

My eyes peeled open and found myself horizontal on the king plus bed. I searched for the origin of the sound. "What's the matter, babe?" I whispered.

Emmett looked haggard, but despite this, he scoffed. "Really?"

"Logan…" I heard a feminine voice whisper. "I…" I shifted to meet Rosalie's golden eyes. They were full of remorse, which for Rose, was a complete change from her usual demeanor. It was almost annoying. I couldn't look at her though I was so embarrassed. Instead, I trained myself on Emmett again. Hopefully, he would understand what I wanted.

He clearly didn't because he made no motion to prevent Rosalie from sitting in the bed. She tried to rub my back. It was then I noticed the tears were still there. I felt like a chew toy, all ripped and torn. My shoulders and hip ached. It was a painful reminder of what had just happened and it singed my spirit. What the hell was happening?

"Get out," I whispered quietly, more quietly than I intended. I concentrated as hard as I could and repeated myself. I didn't know if words even came out. I was in such a fog.

"Please, Logan, Carlisle is fetching you some blood. If I could just stay with you…" Rosalie couldn't finish her words.

"He said get out," Emmett sneered matter of factly. "Go."

Rosalie bit her lower lip, but dashed from the room.

Emmett closed the door behind her and turned to face me. He winced.

"What's happening to me?" I barely stuttered out.

He scooped me up in his burgeoning arms and held me together by sheer force of love.

"How long was I out?" I asked, turning into his chest. I rubbed my forehead against the soft cotton of his shirt, the bulging muscle beneath reminded me that Emmett had me. I reveled in his strength and sweet scent. He was safe.

Emmett shifted his weight to his other leg with unease. "Three minutes, 16 seconds, and 3.4 milisec…" His voice trailed off and I became terrified in the silence. He lifted my wrist up and my eyes fell on to the object his interest. My hand. It was fading into nothingness the way boiling water evaporates from a pot.

I started to hyperventilate. "Emmett! EMMETT!"

The bedroom busted inward, and Rosalie and Seth filed in.

"Oh my God!" Seth stammered, covering his mouth.

"Blood!" Rosalie announced. "He needs blood."

"Right," Emmett agreed. He gingerly carried me out of the house and into the woods. I was having a hard time focusing on where I was. My senses seemed to lag behind what was actually happening. I remembered the amber leaves of fall; the cool, salty smell of the ocean—the entire island smelled of the ocean though. I heard Carlisle's voice and Edward's too. More leaves, more sea.

"Emmett, I'm scared," I whispered. In the twelve years that I had known Emmett, been his mate, I had never been scared. Even when the Volturi hoard was upon us, I was too stubborn to think we wouldn't survive. But now, I was scared. I was scared until that a scent hit me like a brick wall. My senses refocused like the flip of a switch and before me was a gigantic black bear that Emmett had pinned down for me. I crawled weakly across the mossy forest floor—when had I been placed here?—and concentrated on the gash in the bear's neck. The blood spoke to me, but I needed to change it first.

"What are you waiting for, son?" Carlisle asked, worry coloring his voice. For all that he had seen and experienced, the worry in _his_ voice terrified me more than my actual predicament.

From the corner of my eye, Edward cocked his head to the side, his trademark sign that he was reading my mind. "He's changing the molecular structure of the blood to taste like a human."

My brain was in a fog. I had done this a thousand of times! Pulling the memory of the tastiest human I had ever had—my singer—to the center of my mind was the key in changing this nasty animal blood. I hissed in frustration. "Tofu, my ass."

"You have to drink, Logan!" Emmett commanded. "Stop with the fucking human shit! Drink!" I glared at Emmett with a hatred that I never had given him before. He didn't shy away from me though, but rather returned my angry glare. The bear roared in protest and I noticed the gash was starting to dry up, the blood coagulating into a scab.

"No!" I roared. "Mine!" I pushed all other things out of my head, my torn body, my weakness, and my embarrassment. I pushed out my family, Seth and Al, and even Emmett. The human's blood came into a sharp focus like a scientist giving a minute adjustment to a microscope. The bear blood was human now.

I devoured all of the blood. It was succulent, warm, and invigorating. When its veins ran dry, I found myself slicing across its furred body with my razor sharp nails in a vain attempt to find any pockets of pooled blood. I needed more of it! I must've looked like a newborn. I must've looked like Allison.

Carlisle pulled me from the carcass and I sat on my knees. I could feel the power of the blood surge through my skin and body, revitalizing me. I glanced at my hand and it had reappeared. What the hell was that anyways? Even as the wounds sealed themselves, I knew the repair job needed additional glue. I needed more blood. At least I knew what would fix me. But how long would it last?

I scented the air for a half second before I found my next prey. Another bear. Before Emmett or Carlisle, or even Edward could stop me, I had demolished the bear, a male and then two others—a mother and her cub. The energy was intoxicating to say the least and I thought of bathing in it. It was sick, I knew.

"Okay, stop!" Emmett yelled as I ripped the cub's leg off.

"More!" I stammered.

Edward glanced at Carlisle. "Okay," Carlisle agreed. "No young though. Remember: the sick, old, and males." He stared deep into my eyes searching for any sign of agreement.

I didn't know if I could control myself at this point, but I nodded and rushed away as fast as my rejuvenated legs could take me. I had no idea of where I was in the forest or how close the nearest town was let alone any unsuspecting humans. Usually, I was good at that in a diligent effort to not hunt people. I'd probable slit a human's throat if I came across one at this point. This was bad. Gluttony was a sin, but I was way past that. Another bear—a male this time, three deer, and a badger later—yes, a badger—I found my fill. I felt all sloshy and bloated, and I briefly wondered where all that blood went. It wasn't like we expelled the remnants of our food like humans did.

I peered around my surroundings. I was in a small valley near a creek. The sun was setting over the ridge and the sound of the late fall nightlife was steadily rising in decibel. I walked to the creek and got a full picture of my state. My clothing and body were gunked over in blood and entrails. As I picked what looked like a small intestine from my hair, I winced. "Ew," I muttered aloud kicking myself for being so messy. This wasn't me.

"I've seen worse." Emmett's voice came from behind me. As I swung around to face him, he grabbed my hands into his own and held them at our sides. "Are you alright?" He swallowed hard fearing my answer.

I took a second to do a self-diagnostic of my state. The tears were gone and I felt mostly functional. "At this point, my head's the thing you ought worry about. Needless to say, that's never happened before."

Emmett eyed me seriously. "Uh, yeah…"

Edward and Carlisle came out of the woods. "We took care of the carcasses," Carlisle informed. "Even the badger one."

"Didn't know you had a thing for badger blood, babe?" Emmett grinned.

I had the sudden urge to slap that grin off his face, but I was more impressed that I had had that thought at all—I must've been getting back to normal.

"Here," Edward said, throwing a bag over to me. "I ran home in between your third and fourth courses." I studied Edward carefully. Was he trying to be funny? If it were at any other time, I would've laughed or even smiled. I opened the bag and found a change of clothes and some soap.

"If you'll excuse me…" I muttered. I followed the creek down into the valley until I found a large enough pool to submerge myself completely. Quickly scrubbing the blood away from my body, I felt around for where my tears had been. The skin had completely sealed. Only thin silvery scars remained, tracing along where the tears had been. I was sliding my finger across the scar on my hip when Emmett came out of the woods.

"Are you rea…" Emmett cut himself off. He gritted his teeth with an audible snap. "We're ready to go back when you are." I nodded and finished bathing. After dressing in a plain pair of jeans, steel-toed boots, and a gray hoodie, I shoved my bloodied outfit into the bag. Flinging it high into the air, I raised my hand high into the air and focused on the bag.

As the bag disintegrated into a fine dust, a pain shot up my back and blasted into my head. I winced, but Emmett was watching dust shower and didn't notice. The pain reminded me of when my human Dad and I were moving an old gym set into the basement of our house. I had lifted a box incorrectly—with my back and not my knees. That back pain had me laid up for two days. Here, the pain subsided as fast as it had come, but it was still concerning. Vampires didn't feel pain like that. I mean unless someone was dismembering you and I guess I unfortunately knew what that felt like now.

The dust shower fell into the tall grasses on the far side of the creek. "Fertilizer," I quipped.

When we got back to the house, the entire family was seated in the living room. Nobody moved when I came through the door and if it hadn't been for Ness, Jake, and Seth's heartbeats, I would've thought the room had been filled with statues. No sooner had I come in did Carlisle drag me up to his study. He wanted to give me a physical examination.

"I'm a vampire, Carlisle." I sounded like a whiny child. "Aren't physicals for your human patients?" To be honest, I didn't want to discuss the issue right now. It terrified me too much. Facing one's potential mortality when one had already accepted that he was immortal was daunting to say the least.

I followed Carlisle into his study and he closed the door. "You're a patient nonetheless. Take a seat." I nodded. "How did this start?" I didn't know how it started or even what happened exactly, so I recapped the week from my perspective. Changing Al, annoying Rose being annoying, school, my Mustang—that whole bit. Carlisle gritted his teeth when he heard about the tearing in my flesh.

"Yeah, gruesome," I agreed.

Carlisle rubbed his chin for moment and mused whether Eleazar should come and visit. To my look of confusion, Carlisle continued. "There is some connection between the use of your ability and your predicament. Probably a huge correlation actually and Eleazar has helped you with your ability before. We have to find out why the use of your ability literally tears you up. Otherwise, you can't use it. You'd probably kill yourself. And then there is the issue of the disappearing hand…"

"Yeah, what was that, doc?" Emmett waltzed through the study room door and sat next to me.

I rubbed the palm of my reappeared hand with my fingers. It felt entirely there, but I couldn't remember if I could _feel_ it when it disappeared. "Maybe I can turn myself invisible too?"

"That's entirely possible, Logan," Carlisle agreed. "Fundamentally, your ability is the control of the organization of atoms and molecules. I saw you destroy that bag earlier. That, for example, was _you_ causing the molecular bonds holding the fabric together to detach." This I knew. I had always had a fondness for chemistry and physics because I had a unique perspective on the whole matter. What I didn't know—and thus scared me—was where my limits existed. The tearing of my flesh, the destruction of my body was not a price I was willing to pay to use my ability.

"What should I do about my appearance? Everyone is used to what I look like now." My skin had a deep, rich tan to it, as if the sun had graced me with its rays without the dangers of sunburn or cancer. My eyes were a pristine, ocean blue; something I was always proud of. Once, when Emmett and I were on a fishing trip in the Mediterranean, he commented my eyes were as blue as the sun-drenched sea. I was not a vain person, but when Emmett paid me a compliment like that, I did my best to keep doing what I was doing. Would I have to let my red eyes show? Animal blood never to caused my red eyes to change to the color of Emmett's. In sum, my appearance cost me. It took a constant effort to change my skin pigment and eye color. It was an easy effort though, one that I mastered early in my second life. It was like constantly holding a hand clenched. Try it sometime.

"You have to go to school," Emmett cautioned. "And the funeral." The funeral. Allison was downstairs with the rest of my family. I had been too caught up in my own life today that I hadn't talked to her about this. How was she doing?

"Worry about yourself today," Edward directed from the living room. The amazing part of having a mind scanner and vampire with impeccable hearing all wrapped up in one brother was that he knew exactly what to say, most of the time anyways.

Ignoring whatever Edward was trying to get at, Carlisle sat at his desk and smoothed out some paperwork. I could see the worry in his actions. "I think the best course of action is to invite Eleazar down, for you to keep your appearance as it stands, and to refrain from using your ability otherwise. And you should hunt every day from here on out."

"Every day?" I wasn't a nomad anymore and returning to the unending hunt was like actively returning to an addiction rather than falling back into one.

Emmett lifted my hand to his lips. "I'll go with you." A shiver ran down my spine and into my gut. My pants felt tight.

Carlisle raised an incredulous eyebrow. "And no…" he hesitated… "sexual relations. You can't afford to exert yourself in any manner whatsoever." The silence in the room, and in the house for that matter, was absolute and unending.

Emmett eyed Carlisle suspiciously. "What do you mean when you say, 'relations,' exactly?"

I rose to my feet. "Nope, I got it. Er. I mean, we got it, Carlisle! Yep, we're done here, right?" I tried to pull Emmett from the room. He wouldn't back down though.

"Why not?" Emmett asked, sounding like a five year old.

Carlisle looked as equally as uncomfortable as I was. Talking about_ this_ was like getting the sex talk from one's parents, and it's still awkward even if we're all adults. Carlisle tapped his index finger on his desk. "Any exertion is a ticking time bomb, Emmett."

"What he means to say," I interjected, "is that you don't want my arm to fall off, again, right?" Emmett winced at that and I felt terrible for throwing him back into the memories of my body coming a part.

"When do you think Elezar can get here?" Emmett asked.

"I will call him now," Carlisle replied.

I motioned to the door and Emmett followed. Just down the hall was our bedroom and I dragged him inside. The bedspread was all disheveled from my rapid departure so I smoothed it out and stuck the pillows back where they needed to go. It was nice to do something totally asinine in the scheme of my life events. I started to readjust the picture frames on the wall when Emmett came up behind me and grabbed for my hand.

I had forgotten he was in the room. It should go without saying that _that_ never happens. Something was horribly wrong.

Emmett kicked the door closed, sealing him and I off from the prying ears of our supernatural brethren. The soundproofing was pretty thick. Whoever wanted to listen in would've had to press their ear against the door. And I have enough trust in my family to know they will steer clear of this room tonight. Tomorrow would be a new day and whatever come, I had to get my act together, however I could do it.

Emmett pulled me into his strong embrace. He was a bigger guy than I, but was no small twink either. He had three inches on me in height and his shoulders were wider than mine. Whatever. He was mine and I would not want him any other way. He held me tightly and I nuzzled my face into the side of his neck. I could smell the rainwater from the cloudburst we ran through on our way home.

"Em…" I whispered softly, caressing his forearms. I refused to meet his eyes. I was terrified what was in them and I couldn't face his fear too. Not right now.

"Whatever it is…" he stated in his unwavering and sure voice. It edged on arrogance, but not completely. Not in this moment. It was more faith.

"Still," I choked out. "I'm scared." I chanced a glance upward. Emmett's brilliant eyes were like two small suns in the darkened room. He tightened his hold on me and then let go, waving me over towards our bed. He sat atop it with me between his legs. He lifted my foot and removed the boot, and did the same to my other foot. Slowly, all my clothing came off and I was stark naked before my mate. I would be lying if I said that salacious thoughts weren't creeping through my head. Emmett tore his clothes off in the fraction it took him to undress me. As I pulled the covers over us, I sunk into his chest again. Lying on our sides, our legs entangled themselves.

I wept the rest of the night. No tears fell, they never would, but Emmett just kept repeating, "I have you. I have you."


	13. Ch 13: Family Is Like a Puzzle

I thought for a time that the only thing holding me together was Emmett's strong grip around me. It was real early in the morning when I decided that the not-knowing part of what was wrong with me hurt me more than my body actually falling a part. So when I finally dug up enough courage to open my eyes, I was glad to see no tears. Upon a more detail survey of my body, even the silvery scars had disappeared completely. Maybe that was just my ability enhancing the illusion like when it covers my bleached white skin with a healthy tan.

Now, with the clock flashing 4:16 A.M., I felt like a statue, afraid to move because of what could happen. What _if_ I fell a part by just doing nothing? I had to push that fear away from me though. I was still myself after all. I rose from the bed and slowly, carefully walked over to the floor-length mirror that hung on the far wall. I don't know what I was looking for. Perhaps a tear I couldn't see earlier? None were there, but still, as I surveyed millimeter of my skin, I winced in terrified anticipation.

"Let's hunt." Emmett's voice reverberated from deep in our closet. He emerged dressed in carpenter jeans, a red and black flannel shirt, and a Seahawks ballcap, pulled backwards like always.

_My lumberjack_, I thought. I smiled. "Sure." Mostly confident that I wasn't falling a part or disappearing into nothingness, I found a green sweater and my favorite pair of jeans that I had hidden from Alice and her penchant for trashing every article of clothing that has been worn _maybe_ once. I emphasize "maybe" because she is notorious for donating a pair of pants or a shirt—never worn—to charity. Apparently, fashion changed that fast.

Sliding down the banister into the living room, I felt like my normal self.

"Logan Cullen! If you scratch that finish, so help me…!" Esme shrieked from the kitchen.

I heard some snickering and glanced over at the couches. Allison was seated on the couch, her bright blood red eyes were full of interest. In her lap was Seth's head. He was drooling like a fool, asleep.

"He was tired," she informed. "He was kind of worried about you and didn't want to go to bed until you were okay."

I was about to speak when I noticed Al caressing his hair in the most caring way. Did she even know? And by the way, why wasn't his blood making her go stir crazy?! Shapeshifter gene, I concluded. I shuddered internally. Yuck. Even I couldn't change that nasty ass flavor to anything palpable. I sat carefully on the adjoining couch from Al and Seth. "Do you want to hunt with Em and I?" I barely whispered.

Al's throat clenched, her Adam's apple bobbing reflexively. The burn was omnipresent in the newborn years. I was frankly shocked she could even stand to be still right now. We had human neighbors after all despite the fact the closest one was a mile down the road. I knew my throat would be burning like a supernova right now if I were her. Maybe it was the imprint? It was pretty powerful.

"So what do you say?" Emmett asked, yelling from the banister at the top of the stairs.

Al shushed him. "Don't wake him! He just fell asleep."

"Then stop talking so loud," Emmett boomed.

Al was starring daggers at Emmett, and if she hadn't had Seth's head in her lap, she would've sprung on him.

I peeked down at Seth. He stirred a bit, but never woke. "Let's get going, ya big lug," I said, clearly meaning Emmett. He descended the oak stairs and was at the front door with his hand outstretched for mine.

"Wait," Al whispered. "I'll be right back." With equal measures of strength and grace, Al lifted Seth like a baby, an enormous, 6" 2', 250 pound, adult baby. I thought to take a picture, something to hold against Seth later. Before I could get the camera app on my phone running though, she ran Seth to his bedroom in the cupola. Shortly thereafter, Al, Em, and I were off into the ending darkness to recharge my malfunctioning batteries.

Seventy miles northeast of the island, I took down two deer and an elk. Allison, very messily, had a large black bear and a deer. Unwilling to look less like a glutton than either Al or me, Emmett made sure to get two deer and two bears. We were done with our meals and it wasn't even dawn yet. The nights were getting longer this late into fall.

"I hate that I'm the messy one!" Al complained. We were gliding down the runway of an abandoned airfield. In the olden days, bush planes would take off from here to scout Maine's wooded interior for forest fires. Now, the runway was cracked and slowly disintegrating. The forest was encroaching from the left, its roots slowly digging up through the formerly flat and smooth surface. A back roads highway skirted alongside the airfield before it too disappeared into the wild woods. We were half way down the strip and still hadn't seen a car drive past.

I snorted. "Don't worry. Emmett was just as bad when he started too!"

Emmett rolled my eyes.

"What? You disagree?" I challenged.

"You weren't there…" Emmett began, but I cut him off succinctly. As if reading the lines from a novel verbatim, I retold Emmett's story of his first animal kill. He had told it to me long ago. The image of Emmett vomiting blood from his mouth _and_ _nose_ was enough to make me gag.

Emmett looked miffed.

"What?" I asked grabbing for his hand.

He pulled away. "That story was a secret, babe," he whined.

"How is it a secret when the whole family knows the same old story?" I asked with sarcasm. I grabbed for his hand again and missed. He continued to walk with Allison, but I hopped over his head and landed in his arms.

"Can I help you?" he asked feigning annoyance.

I shook my head. "Nope. Just here for the ride, sugar cakes." He was about to put me down, but I locked my lips to his. Needless to say, he didn't put me down. Instead, he held me tightly, pushing his electric tongue along my lower lip. He wanted permission to enter. _Permission is implied, Emmett Cullen! Forever and always…_

I heard someone retch, but I didn't hear the splash of blood or vomit. Coming to my senses, I noticed that Allison was standing a few feet ahead of Emmett and I. "What's the matter?" I asked. "Bad blood?"

"No," Allison said with thin smile. "The sight of you two doesn't help matters though."

"You bitch," I commented, shaking out of Emmett's grasp. I grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

"You're not supposed to be doing that anyways! Doctor's orders!" Al rationalized.

"You're loving super sensitive hearing, aren't you?" Emmett asked with a knowing smile.

"Can't say that it isn't handy…"

"Yeah, well, that's only because we got sound proof walls in _this_ house. Before… oh… my… god…" I gagged.

"What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely interested.

Emmett's eyes buzzed in a circle. "Uh…"

Allison snapped her jaw shut with an audible clack. "Never mind." She started to rub at her blood-caked blouse in a vain attempt to clean herself up.

I grabbed at her forearm. "It's not going to work. You're going to tear through your blouse and nobody wants to see that."

"Hey!" she whined. "There are plenty of men who would want to see that…"

I let her comment float for a moment. _You're right, Al. You're a vampire, but… only one will be able to touch you there…_ I shuddered. Ew. The thing about a vampire's mind was that it raced a million miles a second in a million different directions.

"Anyways," Allison redirected. A cloud of awkward had fallen on the airstrip. We were nearing the end of it though. Down a subtle decline there was a rusted old fence that marked the boundary to the forest. "You haven't told me your first hunt story, Logan."

"Which one—human or animal?" I asked jokingly.

"Animal." She cringed. "I prefer not to be tempted to rip my Grandma's throat out even more than I already am. Does the burn in my throat ever go away?" She scratched her throat.

"You get used to it," Emmett informed with a quick nod. "And Logan, here, he's a cheater when it comes to the hunt."

"A cheater?" Allison asked with intrigue.

I shrugged my shoulders. "My ability and I are best friends."

"And here I thought Seth was your best friend," Allison whispered. We easily hopped the chain link fence. The sun was rising in the east and it would be time for school soon. I had to only get through today and tomorrow, the wake, and the funeral, and then I would be free to figure out my problem.

"Oh shit." I froze.

Emmett spun to face me. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"

Allison, bless her heart, kicked off the ground and found a perch on a fence post. She was scenting the air, surveying for danger. It wasn't the reaction I would have thought little ole' Al would've jump to, but I'd take it. It was clear, she was a fighter.

I had hesitated to bring up Allison's funeral arrangements with her despite not really having an opportunity to do it. It seemed wrong for some reason, but I suppose few in the world ever had to consider _their_ own funeral arrangements when they were believed to be dead. I felt guilty for my own hesitation. It was _her_ funeral. Not mine. Then again, I was the one who had to deal with it on top of my… what should I call it? Sickness? Imperfection? The absence of information was maddening.

I surveyed the forest in the east. The sun had broken over the horizon, lighting up the forest with a brilliance only a vampire could appreciate. The sun hit the morning dew lighting the forest up like a trillion Christmas lights. It was beautiful.

I inhaled deeply. "Your funeral is the day after next."

Allison, perched on the fence post, reminded me of Lady Liberty standing atop the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Her lips were pursed, her face guarded. She hopped down and put her hand on my shoulder. It was a supportive gesture. "I don't blame you for what happened at the party. I fell. It wasn't you. I mean, you saved me. This funeral…" she crushed her eyes together, "_my_ funeral... It is not your fault. It's a burden for you and I'm sorry."

I knew she suffered too though. Allison Wellington, the human version at least, came from a small, but tight knit family. She had a younger brother who was in middle school. Her mom and dad owned a small grocery store in one of the coastal villages on the other side of the island. When Allison said "_her_ funeral," she actually meant her family's funeral for her. They would be the ones suffering and she would suffer because they suffered.

I reminded myself of the decision I made to save Allison's life. Looking back on it, I would've made the same decision. If I didn't, my family wouldn't have had a new daughter or sister. And Seth. Poor, Seth. If I didn't save Allison, would he ever imprint? Find someone? I was a firm believer in one's true soul mate. There was and would be only one. Emmett, thank God, was mine. What about Seth, if...

_What if's_ were a powerful thing when one was immortal.

Yes, I saved Allison's life. Maybe I wasn't done though? Allison was to some degree responsible for her family. Her pain made that clear enough. Helping her family out—being a pallbearer or whatever they needed me to be—would be the only way that I could alleviate some of _her_ pain. I was her sire and I guess I didn't understand what exactly, or more accurately, to what extent that relationship was. I was responsible for Allison, and as to the funeral, I was responsible for her family too. There was odd symmetry in it all. I would be strong for Allison. I had to be.

…

School was as dreary as it was yesterday. The collective sadness had switched though, from a sudden punch in the gut to something more along the lines of a continuous funerary dirge. The shock of Allison's death had worn off and replacing it was reality. I did my best to muscle through the sadness and was surprised to find Jasper was able to get through it too.

"I keep reminding myself that she's at home," he said to me. "She's a sweet darlin,' that Allison."

Friday was a repeat of Thursday, and the dirge continued to play in the background. Thankfully, Coach Jandron decided to cancel practice for the rest of the week not that Seth or I would've gone anyways. I only had to get through the wake and the funeral now.

By 8:00 P.M. Friday night, the entire family minus Allison had arrived in the high school gym for the wake. Eleazar, and his mate, Carmen, had arrived that morning to help me figure out my problem and were keeping Allison company tonight. I apologized for leaving her with strangers, but she reminded me that keeping up the charade was more important. The wake wasn't for her, she insisted, and that she would grieve for her human life in her own way when the time was right.

"For a wake, you look good." It was Emmett. He held my hand tightly as we slid in through the double doors that separated the gym from the rest of the school. It wasn't the time for vanity, but I knew Emmett enough to know that he was trying to get a rise out of me. He would try just about anything to wipe the gloom off my face.

I shook my head in a useless attempt to shed my sadness. "I'll be alright _after_ _the funeral_," I whispered.

"Oh, deary," Esme commented. She smoothed a lock of my hair that had apparently fallen out of line. "You do look handsome." I regarded myself in the reflection of a trophy case. I was in a crisp, tailored suit. An Alice-inspired get up. It was a subdued gray number that came with a white shirt and blue tie. You were supposed to wear black to these types of things, but a small part of me refused to accept the lie I was supposed to portray. My suit was my small defiant stand. Besides, human Allison's eyes were blue.

I sat with my family high in the bleachers. We didn't want to distract anyone from the large portrait of Allison that sat on an easel near the speaker's podium. We were always a spectacle as it was. Principal Adams was shuffling through some note cards. Her lips were moving at a rapid pace, for a human. She was practicing her eulogy. My stomach churned inside out.

I couldn't help but feel like I was the cause of all this. I knew better of course… Allison would've died regardless, but maybe there was something I could've done? Told her not to go to the party? Stole her away from the party when the cops showed up? Something?

Jasper was seated a bleacher down from me. He leaned back and whispered, "Snap out of it, buddy."

I was annoyed at myself. I didn't know how Jasper was handling all the humans in the crowd and then add me to the mix? God, what did I have to be sad about? Allison was alive! That reality though was so difficult to accept when six hundred people turned out for a lost teenager's wake. They all thought she was dead and either I believed them or I believed I caused it.

A hand slid over my shoulder and pulled me into the body to which it was attached. Emmett gave me an empathetic smile. I tried to return it, but it was too hard. Instead, I counted the number of times Adams shuffled her cards. Were they even in order now?

I glanced to the side of the bleachers and noticed Coach Jandron speaking with tall, slender man. A woman was next to him. She was gripping a tissue so hard, her hand shook. And next to her was a young boy, maybe ten or twelve years old. He sniffled. Tears slowly made their way down his cheek.

It was Allison's family.

I shot up from my seat, Emmett following me. "What's the matter?" he asked.

I stared deep into his eyes searching for an answer that seemed logical or reasonable, or right. "Nothing."

Emmett nodded and sat back down. I slunk back down too, only to rise up again. Before Emmett could ask, I had descended the bleachers. And before Principal Adams could stop me I walked up to Allison's family.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mr. and Mrs. Wellington," I started. "My name is Logan Cullen. I'm sorry that I was never introduced to you. I didn't know, um, Allison long, but she _is_," I stopped myself, "excuse me, she was a great… great friend."

Allison's dad rose to his feet and held out his hand. I was careful not to crush it my steel-twisting grip. "It's nice to meet you as well, Logan. Al had mentioned you were new friend."

They called her Al too. I sighed. Being a vampire is an otherworldly experience that is terribly difficult to explain. But this connection… Al… made me feel more like a human than my first life.

Allison's mom rose to her feet as well and shook my hand fleetingly. It was almost rude, but I decided to ignore it. "My dear, you are so cold," she commented to my surprise (that she would care, not that it was true). "I will tell the Principal to raise the heat." Before I could object, she stalked off to the podium.

I looked to Mr. Wellington for guidance. He shrugged his shoulders. "She's finding any excuse to avoid the reality."

"Can't say that I blame her, Mr. Wellington."

"Sam," he interjected. "Call me Sam." He turned to his sniffling son. "And this is Andy."

I knelt to Andy's eyelevel and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

No response. His eyes were wide black pits ringed with the tiniest sliver of blue. He had Allison's eyes. She never mentioned that. I glanced up at Andy's father. He gave a grim smile.

Rising up, I said, "Well, I won't keep you and your family. Again, I'm sorry." I turned to walk away, but a clammy hand grabbed at my suit coat.

"They won't let me carry her casket," a voice croaked.

I spun on my heel. "Why not?"

Andy rubbed away the snot that was running down his nose. It was such a boy thing to do. "They say it's too heavy, but there's no body, so how can it be…"

Sam put his hand on Andy's shoulder. "We've already been through this, son. It'll be easier if…"

"How many pallbearers are there?" I interjected.

Sam eyes were as weary as his sons. He sighed. "Six. My brother, myself, three volunteers from church, and you, if you are still interested."

"Whatever you need, Mr. Wellington. My family and I will be of whatever assistance you need."

From fifty feet away, I heard Esme whisper, "Ask him if he wants any food prepared. I can do Lasagna. Or chicken. Or anything really. I have all night. Ask him, Logan!"

I waved her off. "But I mean, I think between five of us plus your son, we should be able to handle the casket. It seems to mean a lot to him."

"Your coach said you had some powerful legs," Sam said with a grin.

"Huh?"

"Al was the girl's crew captain. Jandron kept me informed of the boys too."

I grinned inwardly. "I'm sure _we_ will be able to handle it, won't we, kid?"

Andy's smile was like a ray of sunshine blasting through rain clouds. I respected the kid. Most pre-teens his age would gag at the sight of a casket, let alone carry it even if this particular one would be free of any body. If Andy wanted to honor his sister by carrying her casket, who was I not to help him? Four adults, one preteen, and one vampire—I think we'll have it covered.

I gave one last nod to Sam and walked back to my family. Esme grabbed me as I passed. "What about the food?"

"Just make a whole bunch, Mom," I replied. "Even if they don't eat it at the funeral, I'm sure their not going to want to cook too much in the foreseeable future."

"How did you ever get so smart?" Esme asked, slinking a hand around my waist.

Alice scoffed. "Don't tell him that. His head is already inflated."

"Looks like the family is getting back to normal," Carlisle commented to no one in particular.

"Ladies, gentleman, and students, could I have your attention please?" It was Adams. Apparently she was done shuffling her cards. The gym quickly quieted down, everyone's attention on the old public school veteran whose bun was disheveled and reading glasses needed serious updating. The 1980s was thirty years ago, lady.

"Yep, life is getting back to normal," Emmett snickered. I backhanded him with such force that it sounded like granite scrapping granite. The echo bounced across the gym causing Adams's microphone to get feedback.

Carlisle gave me a glare of death.

"What?" I asked sheepishly.

The next day was round two of "Allison is dead, let's all grieve about it." At this point, I was done. Just done. "Maybe we're pushing too much into the human world," I said, rolling my eyes.

Emmett rolled his eyes back at me. He was fixing my tie. "Logan," he started. "The funeral is in an hour and we don't have to go to the luncheon afterwards. You'll be done soon."

I eyed him meekly. "You're coming? I thought…" I thought I was going solo—to carry the empty casket by myself. I mean, in spirit if not physically. The wake was enough to give the impression that my family cared, or at least enough to not trigger suspicion. Nobody wanted to go to real event—Allison was downstairs!

Emmett ran the pad of his thumb over my lower lip and I shuddered inwardly. His lips gingerly grazed against mine. Passion surged through my body. I wanted more. To my chagrin, he pulled away, disappearing into our closet. He returned fully dressed in a black suit with black tie.

"Doctor's orders," he said. Ah yes. Chastity was a terrible prescription if you could even call it one. "What do you think, babe?" he asked, doing a spin more to make me moan than to show off his wares.

If I couldn't touch, I could imagine… _What did I think? _I repeated to myself. There was nothing better than a well-dressed man. Undoubtedly this was a fact of life. "Um…"

"You don't look half bad yourself," he redirected. I was in a black suit too, but I opted for a red tie this time. It's silkily texture reminded me of Emmett's skin. "Come on," he said, grabbing for the keys to his Jeep.

A flash of silver bounced into my eyes and I caught sight of its origin. "You're wearing the cufflinks I gave you," I stated with surprise. Three Christmases ago, I gave to each of my brothers and Carlisle a pair of a silver cufflinks, custom engraved with the Cullen crest. They were pretty flashy in my opinion. I mean, they were pure silver after all! But Emmett, would rarely wear the cufflinks for fear he would lose them.

"Did you catch the tie clip?" he asked snapping his fingers and pointing at the silvery clasp halfway up from his belt buckle. "It's legit, right?!"

I shook my head. Emmett wasn't known for fashion sense. He didn't care enough. "Let's go," I suggested. "Alice would definitely give you a thumbs up though, if you didn't know."

The funeral itself was held at a local funeral home in Bar Harbor. Much of what was said was merely a repeat of yesterday. How Allison's life was taken too early… What a tragedy it was… Her poor family… I did my best to care, but at this point, people needed to get on with their lives. I did feel for the Wellingtons, but the fact remained that Allison was at my house, right now, more or less alive. Yeah, well, let's just say I kept that fact to myself. Allison's grandma would probably have had a coronary. She didn't look well; I could sense it from her heartbeat.

When it came to my pall bearing duty, I lined up with Sam, Andy, Sam's brother who introduced himself as Steve, and the two volunteers from the Wellington's church. Even for being bodiless, the casket weighed a shit ton by human standards. Andy appeared to struggle at first, since he was shorter than the rest of us, but I made sure to situate myself in the middle of my row and carry most of Andy's weight. It looked like Sam might pass out himself, not from the weight of the casket, but the emotional weight that was inside it.

"What was in that?" I asked once the casket was put into the hearse.

Andy shook his head. "My mom went a little crazy trying to find pictures and clothes that she thought Allison would want in heaven. It was probably three garbage bags of junk once we were done clearing out her room." Andy's tone was sarcastic. There was a tinge of humor too. Maybe this was the real Andy. He sounded like me during my sarcastic preteen days. Still, it was nice to see him acting relatively normal, even if his pain was hidden just below the surface.

"Hey kid," Emmett called from his Jeep. "You wanna ride over with us?"

Andy's eyes went wide at the sight of Emmett's souped-up Jeep. Rosalie threw a lift kit and four jumbo tires on it for his birthday last year. I would call the whole deal obnoxious, but with Andy's furious nodding, I knew he disagreed with me.

"If it is alright with your father," I added, surveying the crowd for Sam or his wife.

Without another word Andy ducked through the horde of funeral participants and then returned. He didn't stop though. Lifting himself up to the six feet necessary to get in the passenger door, he yelped, "He said it was fine!"

Emmett poked his head out of the driver's side window. With a toothy grin, dimples beaming, Emmett mocked, "He said it was fine!"

_He better have asked. That little shit will get me in trouble,_ I thought traipsing over to Emmett's obnoxious Jeep. I had to pretend to struggle to hoist myself up to the passenger door myself. I was only half-pretending in the end, my suit was a little constricting and I sure as hell didn't want to rip the seam quite yet. I mean, I wouldn't ever wear this suit again, but I still had the burial to get through.

Emmett squealed out of the parking lot.

I glared daggers at him. "This is a funeral," I muttered through clenched teeth.

Andy nor Emmett seemed to notice though. "Sweet!" Andy punched the air in excitement. Cruising down the highway towards the cemetery on the other side of the island, Emmett got it in his head that we would take some of the dirt roads instead. It rained last night so there was plenty of muck to throw around with his monster tires.

I know it didn't sound right to think this today, but Andy was in heaven. He was whooping and hollering to hit the mud harder. I swore Emmett blew the axle in one muck hole, he hit so hard.

"If you make us late, you will live to regret it, Emmett Cullen," I whispered so quietly, human Andy wouldn't have heard it. Not that he was paying attention. He was too busy trying to gauge the depth of the mud of the latest pool. It was only a foot below the doors. The Jeep's engine whined in protest as we started the climb out of this muck hole.

"Emmett," I whispered. "It's not like _I _can get us out of this if you can't." I would be damned if my arm fell off because I got out and pushed _using my ability_. When I would come to, this goddamn Jeep junker would definitely get the same treatment my Mustang experienced the other day.

"Come on, baby," Emmett crooned, rubbing the dashboard. "Don't let Daddy down."

Daddy? I glared at Emmett. "Ew."

Emmett gave me a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. If I was human, my cheeks would've flushed a rich shade of red. Instead, I just smiled inwardly.

I peered back at Andy. He was having the time of his life. Emmett was doing this on purpose, to get Andy's mind of his sister. My soul lurched and in that moment, I had the overwhelming urge to tell Andy the truth. It was so simple. She was alive, Andy. I just had to mouth those simple four words. I never understood family until I met the Cullens. My human parents weren't what a family ought to have been. From the Cullens, I understood Andy's situation even though I had never lost Edward or Alice, or Bella or yes, even Rosalie. I couldn't imagine my family's dynamic with a missing member in the infinitely complex family puzzle that we were. The picture would never be complete again if one of us was lost. And now, for Andy, his puzzle would never be complete again.

Emmett must have memorized all the backcountry roads on the island because when we popped out back on the highway, we were only a mile from the cemetery. Thankfully, we weren't late arriving either. The cemetery was large, but unremarkable. We passed through older sections first. The dates on the some of the headstones went back farther than even Jasper. Soon enough though, we were in the newer area and the dates were more recent. I briefly wondered what my family would do if one of us died? Would we really buy a burial plot and tombstone? There wouldn't be a body. I mean, the only thing to bury would be fire-charred dust.

"Morbid, Logan," I whispered to myself. "Morbid."

Finding Allison's burial plot was easy enough. A large tent was erected over it to ward off any rain that might hit this afternoon. It was perfect cover for Emmett in case a stray beam of sun was to pierce the soupy clouds above. Allison's family and other attendees amassed around the plot and the pastor from their family's church said a few prayers. Then, he asked if anyone would like to speak about Allison. Sam had given a eulogy at the funeral home, but I could tell the priest wasn't ready to be done yet. Mrs. Wellington was about to lose it completely. She held onto Sam tightly, muttering that Allison wasn't dead. Over and over again, she whispered that Allison wasn't dead.

That scared me at first. I searched my memory for some way that Allison's mom could know the truth. Had I said something? Was Allison seen in town? No! She hasn't left the house or if she did, someone was with her. They would've made sure Al wasn't seen. No. Al's mom couldn't know. Really. She_ couldn't _know_._ That would be dangerous.

Maybe it was that she still didn't accept reality? Yeah, that was it. She was hoping that Sam would simply agree with her and they all would go home to find Allison doing her homework or surfing the internet for better sculling techniques.

Meanwhile, Coach Jandron was giving a brief eulogy. He talked about Allison's dedication to the sport and her teammates. Then, a Mrs. Ramona spoke too. She was Allison's babysitter when she was a toddler and I had to laugh when she spoke of Allison's diaper blowouts after eating mashed peas.

"They never did sit well her," I heard Sam whisper, more to himself than anyone. Sam's wife was still weeping.

Mrs. Ramona finished speaking and returned to her chair where she had been sitting. The pastor asked if anyone else wanted to speak, but no spoke up.

Don't ask me why I cleared my throat then. It wasn't necessary by any means, but it was the human thing to do and I hoped the pastor would notice me. I glanced over at Emmett, my rock. He gave me a smile. It was subtle and quiet. It was for only me, and would always be. The pastor called me forward and I stood at one end of the casket.

_That's an ornate beast,_ I thought. It was a rich oak color, with chrome roads for handles. For how heavy it was, I knew it was solid, and I was briefly surprised as to why the Wellingtons would spend so much money on an _empty_ casket. But who I was I to judge?

I glanced around the congregation and sighed. "When I was traveling over to the cemetery just now, I had the fortune to get to know Andy, Allison's brother. And he reminded me of my family and I had to ask myself what it would be like to lose one of my brothers or sisters…"

At the far side of the tent, I heard a low voice ask, "I thought Emmett Cullen was his brother?"

"No, he's his boyfriend," another voice stated.

The first voice replied, "Emmett is both."

"Both what?" a third voice quipped.

I wanted to roll my eyes. _Rude, bitches._ _Rude._

I glanced over to Sam, his wife, and Andy and spoke to them directly. Mrs. Wellington was clutching at Sam's shoulder as if it was her lifeline to sanity. Andy's expression was hard to read, but it was clear he was trying not to cry. "And I decided that my family, like your family, is a puzzle and each member of a family is but a piece of that puzzle. And losing a family member would be like finishing the puzzle except you have one critical piece missing, a corner piece or something. The puzzle will be forever incomplete.

"Allison's life in _this_ world was cut short. And I knew her for a short period of time—less than most people here, but I think I knew her well enough to know that she would want you all to remember her in death as you knew her in life. She was cool, calm, and collected; she was spacey, she was kind, she was true.

"And if you can remember her as you knew her in life, I think that together, you all can keep the puzzle piece that was Allison Wellington in place and keep her puzzle—her family whole. Because in the end, family, like Allison, is true, and kind, and even spacey. I would venture to call my family a bit crazy." There were some snickers in the background. Mrs. Wellington's lips flipped upward as well. It was the first time I had ever seen her smile. It was small, but it was sure. It reminded me of Allison in so many ways. "I'm sure you can all relate," I finished.

Sam nodded.

I placed a hand atop Allison's empty casket and closed my eyes for a quick second. In that moment, I silently cherished and cursed my knowledge that Allison, my creation, was sitting at my home in front of the crackling fire alive and well—okay, relatively speaking on both counts, but still…

The pastor said a few final prayers and reminded attendees that the Wellingtons were hosting a luncheon at their home after the funeral was finished here.

As Emmett walked me back to the Jeep, I heard Andy running up the grass towards me. I spun on my heel to notice the entire Wellington clan was following in Andy's footsteps. As Sam and his wife stopped in front of me, I asked, "Can I help you with something, Sam?"

Before I could react, Mrs. Wellington pulled away from Sam and threw her arms around me. She wept for a moment and I held her gently. "If you get to call him Sam, you get to call me Anna. I'm so happy Al met you. Thank you, lover. I just know she liked what you said. I just know." Anna pulled away from me and went back to her husband. He kissed her on the head. "You'll come to the house for food now, right? Food and funerals goes hand and hand, you know!" She laughed gently.

I smiled. "No, unfortunately, I can't. I have to do homework now. I'm… kinda behind… what with everything…"

Anna's eyes blasted concern. "What?! Have they not given you leeway? I'll have to talk to Ada…"

"No, no, no!" I responded coolly. "The school's been great, but still, I don't want to fall anymore behind…"

"Thanks for everything," Sam said, offering his hand.

I shook his hand and nodded at Andy. "If you ever want another ride, I'm sure Emmett could hook you up."

"Sweet!" Andy replied, punching the air again. What an interesting boy… He was the male version of Allison through and through.

"Ready to go?" Emmett asked.

I nodded.

Sam approached Emmett. "Thanks for coming too." He shook Emmett's hand who had dawned some gloves the second he noticed Andy running up the grass. "You have a good man, that Logan," Sam commented.

"Meh, I'll keep him," Emmett replied sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'll keep _him_."

"Well, _we_ won't keep either of you any longer," Anna acknowledged. "Don't be a stranger, Logan. Please, I hope you know I mean that. I think that Allison might have wanted it. I don't know why."

I nodded. As the Wellingtons drove away, I noted that Emmett and I were the only ones left in the cemetery.

"Everyone probably wanted to eat," Emmett observed. "Death has a way of making humans hungry."

"We're going to have to leave the island a lot sooner than we all planned," I observed, climbed up to the passenger door.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked.

I bit my lip. "There was something in the way Anna acted today. Like when she was going on and on about Al being alive and all."

"She was just upset, Logan," Emmett rationalized. He pulled onto the highway in the opposite direction of the Wellington's food extravaganza. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Even so," I contemplated aloud. "Al's a newborn and this is an island. This is her island. We're playing with fire here. What are the chances she gets noticed? Even just walking in the woods? And I don't know what would be worse, a friend—Hayley—noticing Al walking and talking or Al going all newborn crazy and slaughtering Hayley in bloodlust."

"I think Hayley just seeing Allison is a whole shit ton of bad," Emmett observed.

I looked at Emmett quizzically. Oh, right. Hayley would have two options then: death or the change.

My brow furled. "I have to get her out of here, Emmett. I'm her sire and I have a responsibility. This island… It's her human life and it's over. It was over last week."


	14. Ch 14: The Gauntlet

I let the idea of leaving the island simmer on my mental back burner for a few weeks. In hindsight, I began to wonder why no one else brought up the idea independently. Emmett didn't bring it up after our conversation. And I assumed Edward read my mind immediately after we got back from the cemetery, so I further assumed he knew. Regardless, he didn't bring it up either. It seemed like the common fallback plan when something unexpected happened to our family. We were good at disappearing. Erasing our existence from Bella's life after that little mishap on her birthday so long ago swiped across my brain like fingernails across a chalkboard. I cringed.

I walked out onto the wrap around porch and found Jasper and Emmett engaged in one of their epic chess battles. Since Emmett and I haven't been able to be "intimate" for a while, he's been putting his over abundant energy into other things. Today, it was chess.

"Either you interested in a quick hunt?" I asked. My problem had made me paranoid. I hunted yesterday. But that was yesterday and today is today. So to say that I was feeling a bit parched was putting it mildly.

Neither vampire—my mate or brother—responded.

_Bitches_… I thought.

Feeling a little dejected, I swung around the chessboard and gave Emmett a quick kiss on the cheek. He waved me off. No kiss for me, the bastard.

I ran down to the (reconstructed) boathouse to find Alice and Ness giggling on a bed—something about Fashion Week and forcing Bella to attend. Needless to say, Alice and Ness were too busy.

Fine.

As I walked towards the tree line, it crossed my mind to check with Jake and Seth. I flitted over to the garage on the other side of the property to see both shifters plus Rosalie thoroughly immersed in the inner fluids of my Mustang. When I asked whether anyone wanted to go with me, Rose threw a wrench at me. Apparently, she was still pissed at me for nearly killing me. I wasn't quite sure on the logic of it, but I didn't feel like dealing with her drama. I had too much on my plate already.

_Whatever, I'll go by myself._ It had been a long time since I hung out by myself. It would be refreshing.

I moseyed over to the tree line again and enjoyed the smell of the sea breeze mixed with the freshly mown grass. Nature meets civilization. I broke into a run and as the distance from the beach increased, I let my vampire instincts take over. I rushed into the deeply forested park. In only a minute I was at the bridge to the mainland, and in only nine more I was deep in the Maine interior. My nose told me there were plenty of deer, elk, and even a few bobcats running about. Nothing sounded particularly appetizing so I decided to be picky.

I ran about for another three hours. I enjoyed stretching my legs and letting myself be a vampire for a change. Acting human was a job in and of itself. I ran a big semi-circle between New Brunswick and Vermont and then headed back.

As I was passing the New Hampshire border into Maine, I came across a scent that made my nonexistent blood both boil and freeze. Anger. Fear. All-in-one unmistakable scent.

_Oh fuck, and I didn't even get dinner_, I thought.

I stopped short of crossing the border. A grand lake was before me, it teemed with natural life, but there were no humans nearby for miles. Down the pebbly beach were four hooded figures that I've had the pleasure of not seeing in a decade.

I sighed. "Hello, Aro."

Accompanying this wretch was his personal shield, Renata; his witch twins, Jane and Alec; his third witch—Chelsea, and another hooded figure. I couldn't discern who this last Guard lackey was, but I didn't spend much time thinking about it as my eyes retrained themselves on Chelsea. I shuddered internally at the sight of her.

The bitch gave me the ultimate creeps. Control was my thing. She was the antithesis of my control. Bella told me that on that fateful day so long ago, Chelsea attempted to influence me, to change me, to get me to side with the Guard. That was Chelsea's assigned goal. Bella protected me that day. Bella wasn't here today though. I would have tread carefully.

"Young one, how wonderful it is to see you again! I bring salutations from my brothers," Aro announced with his hands held open wide. He acted like he was the king and I the servant. Did he expect me to bow or something? Bitch please, I'm American.

"What can I do for you, sir?" I asked. I tried to keep my tone as neutral as possible.

Aro smiled at my attempt at respect. "My Guard and I have been about these woods hoping to catch you."

My eyes went wide. _Catch you?_

The concern in my eyes was communicated to Aro. He attempted to calm me. "No, no, young one. I hoped to catch you to discuss an offer."

Oh, geez. I knew exactly what this was going to be. "I'm aware of what your offer will be, sir. However, I must decline it. I have a family and a mate for whom I will not leave behind."

"I'm quite aware of your mate, Logan Cullen. Emmett would be more than welcome among our Guard as well." Aro's smile appeared sincere. "And Allison…"

Wait! Fuck that shit! Chelsea is doing her thing. Does Aro really think I'm that stupid? I had to keep cool though. "Thank you, Aro, but again, I must decline. I have a life here and do not wish to be a part of your Guard, as gracious as your offer is." I kept my tone steady and unsarcastic. I wanted to keep up the pretenses of civility and grandeur that I knew Aro lived for. I would call it hubris, but never aloud.

"Are you sure I can't convince you, Logan? I could help you. I could help you attain your highest potential. You would be unstoppable. Also, it would go a long way to mend the relationship between your Coven and the Guard."

That was true. The last thing I wanted, or the Cullens ever wanted, was war with Volturi. We wanted to be left alone, but we were too powerful to be left unnoticed. And it wasn't necessarily that the Volturi feared us alone, rather it was the potential that we could inspire others in the vampire world to mount an insurrection against the Volturi. Jane and Alec could only get so lucky in quelling such a rebellion given the gifted vampires we could rally to our cause. The key to the Volturi's survival was preventing any other competitor from acquiring comparative strength by numbers or even an inspirational factor.

Still, an offer of mending a relationship and securing a more peaceful existence for the Cullens would be a worthy exchange for spending _some_ time with the Volturi. Oh my, I could hunt humans again with them… I mean, Seth would be pissed, and so would… but I mean, whatever, I am a vampire after all. It's in my nature to be a hunter of humans. It was a necessity of my life.

"I will have to discuss this with Carlisle and the rest, of course," I stated openly. Aro must give me this. I mean just leaving with him now would shoot up so many red flags, not only at home, but also in the human world we existed in now. I could imagine it now, Esme explaining that my disappearance was… what? Emergency heart surgery in Rome? Even Aro had to understand that keeping the secret was as important to us as him and his brothers.

"Of course, Logan," Aro nodded. "That is why I wanted to approach you alone. You can take my proposal to Carlisle, and decide outside any perceived threats from the Guard."

I mean, okay… Weird, but whatever.

"Very well, Aro. I will discuss this with everyone," I nodded.

"Good, good!" Aro held out his hand in thanks.

I took it happily and gave it a good shake. Our hands were the same temperature, and it was a welcome relief. Although I don't sweat, sometimes standing near Seth bothered me. The boy was so damn hot; I'm shocked that I haven't melted before.

The Guard turned from me and began to walk slowly away. In the moments before they disappeared behind a stand of trees, I thought about the experience I would have with the Volturi. I'm sure I would see some amazing sights and meet some interesting vampires. The whole policing the world for rule breaking vampires seemed exciting in its own right. I could really showoff my ability then without fear of exposure by humans. This was beginning to sound better and better by the minute.

I immediately dismissed Chelsea. _There is no way she could have pushed that on me,_ I thought. _I'm a rational person and Aro's proposal was perfectly reasonable._ I smiled and waved to the departing Guard members.

Nobody turned to wave back save Chelsea. As her eyes met my own, she silently told me two things: First, she just fucked with my head. And second, I was a fucking fool for following for it.

I saw red.

Rage erased any feeling I had. Rage consumed me. Rage told me what I should do. No! It told me what I needed to do.

"ARO!" I roared at the top of my lungs. I leapt forward and was thirty feet from Guard in a split second.

Jane sensed my approach first. She whipped around and threw the full force of her ability into my frozen veins. I screamed in agony as a fire I had not felt since the change ravaged over me again and again. A thousand pin pricks multiplied by another thousand heated to a million degrees pierced my skin leaving it perforated and torn. The pain increased in intensity and I felt myself losing myself in some sort of abyss. Was my brain losing its hold on sanity?

"NO! NO! NO!" I yelled to myself, but the pain never stopped.

Was I going through the change again? Had my second life never happened? Was it my mind playing a sick game on me? Realizing I never had Emmett or the Cullens ever was yet another painful agony of this change.

Change. Yeah, something was… changing. I felt the pain lessening, but I felt more… viscous? I tried to open my eyes, but all I saw was pitch-black darkness. Were my eyes even open? As the seconds ticked by, I felt the pain cease almost completely, and my senses more or less return. Where the hell was I? I tried to concentrate and it struck me. Earth. I was in the earth. The subtle vibrations of the soil were distinctive. So was the constant temperature. But how far down was I?

I manipulated the dirt around me and raised myself closer to the surface. Gravity told me which way was down and I definitely didn't want to go down. The temperature rose sharply and I realized that I was just below the surface, maybe an inch. I tried to clear my ears of all distractions. I heard muffled voices, but that was to be expected. I was below the ground in a half-phased state.

"Master, where has he gone? He just melted. Melted," Alec said in his prepubescent voice.

Aro growled. "Jane, if you have lost me this prize…"

"But Master, he was charging!" Jane griped.

Charging… Yeah, I was charging! Holy shit… Everything that had just transpired ran through my brain again at vampiric speed. Chelsea…

_My turn, bitches_, I thought as I rose out of the Earth and silently stood behind Jane.

"Wha!" she cried as I ripped her head in a circle and tore it clear away from her body. I dropped it near where her body had landed with a crash reminiscent of a falling granite statue.

"Sister," Alec screamed in a combination of rage and terror.

I laughed manically and before Alec could concentrate to throw his ability upon me, I snapped my fingers and both of his eyes tore away from his face and into my hand. His body fell to the ground and thrashed hard.

Two down; three to go.

Renata threw her hand in front of Aro and backed him away from me with her shield. Nobody, but Bella and I could see this shield. It was a physical force that derived from Renata's brain. I was physical control.

I growled in fury. "HOW DARE YOU!?" I yelled over gritted teeth.

"I surely do not know what you are upset about, Logan Cullen! But attacking any member of my Guard is an intolerable offense!"

"FUCK YOU!" I yelled. "_Your_ Guard? Right…" I felt the space around me for Renata's presence with my mind. Bingo! With every last ounce of strength I had, I liquidated Renata and she slid into the earth until only her head remained above. I let her body phase back to normal and instantly Renata felt the immense pain that was every nerve ending crashing together with particles of rock, plant roots, and water.

Renata howled in terrible pain until what little air that could make it up her airway was exhausted. All that remained was a painful expression of disaster. She almost sounded like Seth when he loses at some vampire Logan versus wolf Seth competition.

I laughed again and swung my legs low to the ground. Aro saw my approach and promptly kicked off from the ground and landed forty feet down the way. Aro wasn't my target though. Renata's head popped off like a bad blackhead. I pushed off my hand so that I landed on my feet.

I stood facing Aro with Chelsea cowering behind him. Aro glanced down at his feet to see Renata's head staring up at him. He moved to secure it, but I pulled my hand back and so did Renata's head fly back… right into my hand.

As if I was a witch myself, I held Renata's hand in my left hand and snapped the fingers on my right hand. Above them, a small flame arose. Pure oxygen was easy enough to manipulate, and it made a good fuel.

I let my head fall to the side as if I was surveying my prey. My prey was Aro. My prey was Chelsea.

Aro's milky red eyes communicated his own fear. He tried to mask it in his voice though. "Logan, I'm warning you! My brothers will retaliate if you destroy me. You risk war!"

"You risked war yourself the day you threatened my family," I announced. "You see, we do not need the likes of Chelsea to hold us together. Imagine what your Guard would be without her. You have made a critical error here today, Aro. One that I am willing to let slide by. No apologies are needed; only that you agree to leave in peace." I let the flame go out and I raised Jane, Alec, and Renata's bodies up with my mind. They looked like puppets until their respective heads were reattached and they were fully reanimated.

Jane's eyes spilled pure rage, but Aro was quick to call her over.

"Do we have an agreement, Aro?" I asked. "Or we can do this all over again."

Aro turned to leave. When his Guard didn't immediately follow, he cursed and pulled Alec by the cloak. As they were about to disappear behind the tree line, I threw out one last quip to Aro.

"Don't think that I won't be watching Aro. Any sign of war, and I will come knocking—as in destroying your castle with every last one of your Guard inside. Fire may be the only way to destroy a vampire, but an eternity melded to the Earth is a worse fate in deed."

Aro didn't stop, nor did he say anything in return. What had I done?

As the tension of the situation abated, I felt like I was losing myself… again. I became nauseous and fell to the ground with a large crack. Blood, I needed blood. How long had it been? How much had I done… I needed bl… Darkness overtook me.

…

…

…

I felt a pull on my arm.


End file.
